Pumpkin Cake with Yellow Cake Mix

5 from 15 votes

A quick and moist pumpkin cake from boxed mix with warm spices and dreamy cream cheese frosting your family will ask for again and again.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword easy pumpkin cake, pumpkin cake mix, pumpkin cake with cake mix, pumpkin cake with yellow cake mix, pumpkin yellow cake mix

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Cooling Time 2

Total Time 2 45

Servings slices

Calories 223.7kcal

1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix (the 4-serving box)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 (16 ounce) can cream cheese frosting (increase to 2 cans of frosting if you'd like to frost the sides of the cake as well as the top)
Optional garnishes and decorations: candy pumpkins, candy corn, sprinkles, or chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray. If you'd like to be able to lift the cake out of the pan for easy frosting and slicing later, line with a parchment paper overhang. Set aside.
Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, pumpkin, oil, water, eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons of the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping the side of the bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until well blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack, and then transfer to a serving platter once it's completely cool, if you'd like.
Once the cake is completely cool, prepare the frosting. Stir the remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon into the cream cheese frosting.
Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
Slice and serve!

This recipe came from my friend Jackie, who originally adapted it from a recipe published by McCormick spices.

Alternate pan options: Bundt: 45-55 min; Cupcakes: 18-22 min
Pudding mix: Use the 3.4-oz box of DRY instant pudding (vanilla or butterscotch will both work).
Spice substitute: Use 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice instead of the homemade seasoning blend.
Testing doneness: The toothpick should have moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Storage: Refrigerate the frosted cake for up to 4 days; freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 2 months.
Make it richer: Substitute melted unsalted butter for the oil.