This Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is everything you want in a fall dessert-soft, incredibly moist, warmly spiced, and packed with rich pumpkin flavor in every bite. Finished with a silky cinnamon cream cheese frosting, this simple homemade cake looks bakery-worthy but is easy enough to make for everything from weeknight desserts to holiday celebrations.
Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: Prep: 25 minutes | Bake: 60-70 minutes | Cooling & Frosting: About 1½ hours
- 🍴 Servings: 1 (9-inch cake), about 10-12 slices
- 🎃 Flavor Profile: Moist, lightly sweet, warmly spiced, rich pumpkin flavor with tangy cinnamon cream cheese frosting
- ☕ Best Served With: Coffee, chai tea, hot chocolate, apple cider, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes! The cake can be baked a day ahead and frosted before serving.
Summarize and Save This Content On
One of my favorite things about olive oil cakes is how incredibly moist they stay for days. Just like my lemon olive oil cake, this pumpkin version relies on olive oil instead of butter to create an exceptionally soft, tender crumb. Combined with pumpkin puree and warm fall spices, every slice is rich, flavorful, and tastes even better the next day.
This recipe pairs beautifully with my pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin chai latte, and pumpkin cold foam for the ultimate fall dessert spread.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Perfectly moist: Olive oil, pumpkin puree, and honey create an incredibly tender cake that stays fresh for days.
- Easy homemade dessert: Simple pantry ingredients and straightforward steps make this cake perfect for beginner and experienced bakers alike.
- Made for fall: Warm spices and cinnamon cream cheese frosting make it ideal for holidays, family gatherings, and cozy autumn baking.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of pantry staples to make this incredibly moist pumpkin olive oil cake. Together they create the perfect balance of pumpkin, warm spices, and creamy cinnamon frosting.
Cake
- Dry ingredients: Flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt create the cake's structure while giving it its signature warm fall flavor.
- Moisture & sweetness: Pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey, and olive oil keep the cake incredibly moist, soft, and flavorful.
- Binding & flavor: Eggs and vanilla extract provide structure and enhance the rich pumpkin and spice flavors.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Creamy base: Cream cheese and butter whip together into a rich, smooth frosting.
- Flavor & sweetness: Cinnamon, vanilla, and powdered sugar create a perfectly sweet frosting with warm spice in every bite.
Find the complete ingredient list, exact measurements, and easy step-by-step instructions in the printable recipe card below.
Variations
- Spice & flavor twists: Add extra cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, espresso powder, or orange zest to deepen the fall flavors.
- Mix-ins: Fold chopped pecans, walnuts, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, or toffee bits into the batter before baking.
- Frosting options: Replace the cinnamon frosting with maple cream cheese frosting, browned butter frosting, vanilla buttercream, whipped cream, or simply dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar.
- Toppings & garnish: Decorate with toasted pecans, air fryer candied walnuts, caramel sauce, cinnamon sugar, pumpkin seeds, or a drizzle of salted caramel.
- Cupcakes: Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and fill each about ⅔ full. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
How to Make Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with parchment paper and coat it with baking spray.
Step 1: Prepare Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Step 2: Mix the Cake Batter. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, olive oil, granulated sugar, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spoon just until no dry streaks remain.
Step 3: Bake the Cake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent the cake with a piece of foil sprayed with baking spray and continue baking until done.
Step 4: Cool Completely. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan or release the springform ring, then transfer the cake to a wire rack for 60-90 minutes, or until completely room temperature before frosting.
Step 5: Make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and powdered sugar, mixing slowly until combined, then beat for another 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Step 6: Frost and Serve. Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the cinnamon cream cheese frosting generously over the top using an offset spatula or butter knife. Slice and serve, or refrigerate until ready to enjoy. For an extra touch of fall flavor, drizzle each slice with our homemade pumpkin syrup.
Expert Tips
- Store properly: Keep the unfrosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days, or refrigerate the frosted cake for up to 5 days. Let chilled slices sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature eggs, cream cheese, and butter blend more easily for a smoother batter and frosting.
- Mix with care: Beat the wet ingredients well, but stir the dry ingredients in just until combined to keep the cake soft and tender.
- Watch the top: Begin checking the cake around 60 minutes. If it browns too quickly, loosely tent it with sprayed foil until fully baked.
- Cool before frosting: Allow the cake to cool completely so the cream cheese frosting stays thick and doesn't melt.
If you love cozy fall desserts like this one, you may also enjoy my pumpkin fluff.
Serving Suggestions
- Fall favorites: Serve with hot coffee and my pumpkin spice creamer, apple cider, or cinnamon hot chocolate.
- Dessert pairings: Top each slice with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, or candied pecans for an extra-special dessert.
- Holiday table: Add it to Thanksgiving, Halloween, Friendsgiving, or Christmas dessert spreads alongside pumpkin praline pie and pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
- Breakfast or snack: Enjoy a slice with fresh fruit, yogurt, or your favorite warm beverage.
- Perfect for entertaining: Garnish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon, chopped toasted pecans, butter toffee peanuts or a drizzle of caramel sauce before serving to guests.
Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake Recipe FAQs
Yes! Bake the cake up to 2 days in advance and store it tightly covered. Frost it the day you plan to serve it for the freshest presentation.
Yes! Freeze the unfrosted cake, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
Yes! Divide the batter between 24 lined muffin cups and bake at 325°F for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Yes! Vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or another mild-flavored oil can be substituted in equal amounts. Olive oil gives the cake extra richness and helps keep it incredibly moist.
A dense cake is usually caused by overmixing after adding the dry ingredients or using too much flour. Stir just until combined and measure the flour accurately for the lightest texture.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you love pumpkin desserts and cozy fall flavors, here are a few more recipes you may also enjoy. They're perfect for everything from weekday treats to holiday baking.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch round springform pan or 9 inch round CAKE pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 280 g
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree 425 g
- 1 cup Brown Sugar 220 g
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 g
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature (113 g)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened (57 g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar 240 g
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 325 F, line a 9-inch cake pan or spring form pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, olive oil, sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. At least 2-3 minutes of mixing. Add the dry ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top. Bake for about 60-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the pan (or gently open the spring form pan) and remove from the pan and let it finish cooling on the wire cooling rack for 60-90 minutes, or until completely room temperature before frosting.
Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl use a hand mixer to mix together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and powdered sugar and slowly mix together until incorporated and then whip for a few more minutes.
- Frost the top of the cake generously with the frosting once the cake has completely cooled.
Notes
- Store properly: Keep the unfrosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days, or refrigerate the frosted cake for up to 5 days. Let chilled slices sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature eggs, cream cheese, and butter blend more easily for a smoother batter and frosting.
- Mix with care: Beat the wet ingredients well, but stir the dry ingredients in just until combined to keep the cake soft and tender.
- Bake with confidence: Begin checking the cake around 60 minutes and tent it loosely with sprayed foil if the top browns too quickly.
- Cool before frosting: Allow the cake to cool completely so the cream cheese frosting stays thick and doesn't melt.
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