This post is sponsored by Hiland Dairy but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Are you looking for a fall dessert that has all the yummy flavors of a pumpkin pie but is easy to make? We’ve got you covered with this easy 4 ingredient recipe for The Best Pumpkin Pie Cake! It is super easy and sure to become a family favorite.
This pumpkin dessert is great by itself or topped with Hiland® Ice Cream or whipped cream. Finishing it off with ice cream seemed like a great idea because cake and pie are always better topped with ice cream. Don’t you think?
Plus we can choose our favorite flavor of Hiland Ice Cream, giving this dessert our own personal flair.
My husband especially liked this idea because he could top his pumpkin pie cake with his all-time favorite ice cream, Hiland Butter Brickle. I chose to go with classic vanilla.
While I do love other flavor combos vanilla ice cream is a favorite of mine, and I think it goes with pumpkin very well. Although I have to agree that pumpkin and toffee are a match made in heaven.
Jump to:
Why you’ll love this pumpkin pie cake
- It’s the perfect dessert for the holiday season.
- It tastes like a traditional pumpkin pie (without pie crust) but is much easier to make.
- All you need is one bowl and a spoon to mix it up.
- This recipe enlists help from the grocery store because we use a boxed cake mix and can of pumpkin pie filling.
- You make this recipe using melted butter so no waiting for the butter to soften.
Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes
Cake Mix – any brand will work, store brand too!
Canned Pumpkin Pie Filling – this is different from pumpkin puree because it has spices already added. If you want to use pumpkin puree then you will need to add pumpkin pie spice to give it the flavor of pumpkin pie. I have only seen the name brand at Walmart. Aldi has a store brand if you have a store in your area.
Eggs – I use large eggs. I believe any size will work.
Butter – we buy Hiland unsalted butter that is made with dairy sourced from local farmers.
How to make this delicious pumpkin cake
- Preheat the oven to 350° and spray a 9 X 13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter.
- Mix the the eggs and pumpkin filling in a large bowl until combined.
- Add the dry cake mix and melted butter to the pumpkin mixture and stir until mixed. The batter will be lumpy.
- Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the center of the cake is no longer jiggly and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan and begin to turn brown.
Tips
- I melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet over low heat on the stove top. This can be done in the microwave.
- This cake batter can be mixed with anything; a whisk, rubber spatula, wooden spoon or tablespoon all work well.
- Cooling the cake on a wire rack will help it to cool faster.
- We let the cake cool about half an hour before we cut it.
Topping ideas for this easy cake recipe
- Ice cream – vanilla is classic but many flavors will top this cake perfectly.
- Cool Whip
- Reddi Wip
- Caramel Sauce – this 4 ingredient microwave version is perfect, store bought will work great too.
- Frosting – vanilla frosting, cream cheese frosting, chocolate frosting, or caramel frosting would be delicious. I have not frosted this cake with traditional frosting. It will work, I have just never done it.
What’s with the crack on the top of the cake in one of the pictures (but not the other)?
I updated this post with new photos in October 2023. I did leave a couple of the old photos because I wanted to show that doing the exact same thing can result in a different outcome. (The old photos are labeled as original photos.)
One of the new photos shows that there is a fairly large crack down the middle of the cake. I believe the cake baked just a tad too long and that caused it to crack.
Sometimes my timing isn’t perfect and I end up with a cracked top. And sometimes my timing is perfect and there is not a crack. Cake with and without the crack taste delicious!
If you are concerned because you might not end up with a “perfect cake” then one solution might be to top the cake with Streusel Topping before baking it. The other solution is to frost the cake.
King Arthur and Betty Crocker have easy recipes for a streusel topping that are slightly different. Both have butter, flour and brown sugar, one has cinnamon and one has oats. Chopped pecans would be a nice addition to either one, about a cup would be perfect.
To make this Pumpkin Pie Cake with the optional streusel topping – after you pour the cake batter into the pan sprinkle it evenly with the topping then bake as directed.
Substitutions
White cake mix or spice cake mix can be used instead of yellow cake mix.
If you want to use pumpkin puree instead of pumpkin pie mix you could use a spice cake mix to give your dessert the warm spice flavor.
Storage
We store this cake at room temperature, in the pan we bake it in, covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap for 4-5 days. It can be refrigerated if you want to serve it cold.
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The Best Pumpkin Pie Cake
Ingredients
- 1 can pumpkin pie mix 30 ounces, not pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 1 box yellow cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 1 cup Hiland unsalted butter 2 sticks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray the bottom of a 9" X 13" pan with cooking spray.
- Melt Hiland unsalted butter.1 cup Hiland unsalted butter
- In a large mixing bowl mix pumpkin pie mix and eggs until combined. Add cake mix and melted butter and stir until combined. Batter will be lumpy.1 can pumpkin pie mix, 4 eggs, 1 box yellow cake mix
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake is no longer jiggly and the edges begin to brown and pull away from the sides of the pan.
Notes
Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!
Nutrition Facts
Recipe adapted from The Country Cook.
More dessert recipes
A delicious, easy to make blondie studded with caramel bits and chopped pecans.
Boxed cake mix is taken to the next level by topping it with pudding, caramel sauce, toffee bits and whipped cream.
can it bemade with canned pumpkin (not pie mix)? What is the difference between them?
Yes, it can be made with canned pumpkin (not pie mix), but you’ll need to add sugar and spices. Pumpkin pie mix is pre-sweetened and spiced, while canned pumpkin purée is just 100% pumpkin.
For 30 oz of purée, add about ¾–1 cup sugar and 2½–3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1½ tsp cinnamon, ¾ tsp each ginger and nutmeg, and ½ tsp cloves) to mimic the flavor of pie mix.
Hi Making this pumpkin pie cake in two days for thanksgiving and how would you store it? Does it have to be refrigerated or is leaving it on countertop ok? Thank you, Victoria
We store it on the countertop for 4-5 days, but it can be stored in the refrigerator if you want it to be cold when you serve it.
This sounds great and I’d love to try it, but… you talk about an optional streusel topping, and even when during preparation to add it – but you haven’t included the ingredients and measurements for exactly what that streusel topping is. Could you add that in, please? Many thanks.
If you follow the links of the text in red (King Arthur and Betty Crocker) they are recipes for streusel toppings.
It’s in my oven right now!! I think I will make a cream cheese frosting for the top.
Cream cheese frosting sounds delicious!
This looks so simple, and yet so amazing! You can’t go wrong with yellow cake mix, pumpkin and butter! This is something I am going to make as soon as “pumpkin season” begins! Thank you for sharing.
I checked out your website and oh my! I’m going to have to do some shopping. Thanks for stopping by.
Nevermind, I found it.
Glad you found it!
What is pumpkin pie mix? I’m assuming you meant pumpkin and not pimpkin. Either way, what is this?
Simple and delicious! I dusted it with powdered sugar and it was perfect. My whole family loved it. This is definitely going in my recipe folder.
I’m so glad you like it, thanks for commenting and reviewing!
Easy peasy and it looks so darn delicious too!
That’s our favorite way, easy! Thanks Angie