Pumpkin Skillet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Skillet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
John Kernick for The New York Times. Food stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
About 40 minutes
Rating
5(361)
Comments
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Fall in simple skillet cake form, this easy pumpkin cake that can be made in one bowl. The frosting is fluffier and comes together more quickly with the help of an electric mixer, but it can be mixed by hand in a pinch. It's also great without a drop of frosting.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

    For the Cake

    • Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the skillet
    • cup/160 milliliters vegetable oil
    • 1cup/220 grams light brown sugar
    • 3large eggs, at room temperature
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1⅓cup/170 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¾teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1teaspoon baking powder
    • ½teaspoon baking soda
    • ½teaspoon fine sea salt
    • cup/300 milliliters pumpkin purée

    For the Frosting

    • 4tablespoons/55 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 4ounces/115 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 2cups/245 grams confectioners’ sugar
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch of fine sea salt
    • cups/150 grams chopped candied pecans (or plain or toasted pecans), optional
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

609 calories; 38 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 48 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 297 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch oven-safe skillet with butter. In a large bowl, whisk the oil and light brown sugar until well combined (you may need to switch to a rubber spatula after a bit). Add the eggs one at a time and mix after each addition until well incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract.

  2. Step 2

    Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well to combine. Add the pumpkin purée and mix until the batter is homogeneous. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread into an even layer with a spatula.

  3. Step 3

    Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with just a few moist crumbs), 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely.

  4. Step 4

    While the cake cools, make the frosting: In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula or electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the confectioners' sugar about ½ cup/60 grams at a time, mixing well to incorporate between additions. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.

  5. Step 5

    Frost the cooled cake with the cream cheese frosting in an even layer. If using, sprinkle the pecans evenly over the frosting.

Ratings

5 out of 5
361 user ratings
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Comments

I've made this two times now. Used 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Plenty sweet and moist. Also, from years of experience I know that cream cheese frosting can be made with much less sugar and still be delicious For easier mixing, next time I will mix the pumpkin puree in with the eggs, sugar and oil and mix the dry ingredients separately before adding.

Why do you need a skillet? Can't you just use a 10" springform pan

This cake was a big hit! I didn’t have any cloves so I used nutmeg instead, and I think that worked well. I made it in a cast iron skillet, but I would think you could make it in a springform.

Really lovely easy and tasty cake. Like others, I reduced the oil to half a cup, sugar in cake to probably 2/3 cup, and in frosting, about 3/4 c confectioner’s sugar plus a couple tablespoons maple syrup for flavor.

Easy to make and delicious!

I made this in an 8"square pyrex and it came out perfectly in 30 min. Followed suggestions of 1/2 c oil and 1/2 c sugar. I ad-libbed on the frosting and did cream cheese and a pinch of sugar and salt and a splash of maple syrup.

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