If you make no other Fall sweet treat with pumpkin, you need it to be this one. If you're not a baker you can still do this very simple three ingredient cake. I promise. You can even eat it without frosting. It's incredibly moist and delicious. The pumpkin flavor is subtle; it just tastes like you're eating Fall.
Here's all you need for the cake: Betty Crocker Butter Pecan cake mix, canned pumpkin and three eggs.
I've seen a lot of talk on the internet about making cake with nothing but a can of pumpkin and a box of cake mix. I don't think that makes a cake but instead a cookie as I did with my pumpkin-chocolate chip cookies earlier this week. However, when you include the eggs it does make a cake...a moist delicious cake without any added oil.
Mix all the ingredients on medium speed for about two minutes.
Pour into a greased pan. I decided to create four mini loafs. These would also be fabulous as cupcakes or a bundt cake. Bake for 40-50 minutes in 325° oven until done; golden color, top bounces back when touched and just a tiny crumb or two on a toothpick inserted in the center. Less baking time for cupcakes, more for a bundt.
You could stop here and enjoy. But I thought they could use a little frosting...cream cheese frosting.
While the cake cools gather your ingredients: 8 ounce block of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of butter, about 2 cups powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Let the butter and cream cheese soften at room temperature then cream on high speed with the vanilla.
Gradually add in the powdered sugar a 1/4 cup at at time until incorporated. This cream cheese frosting is very adaptable. You can easily double or triple it for larger cakes. This will make more than enough for your four cakes or batch of cupcakes. You can also adjust the sweetness. I found some people like a sweet cream cheese others a more tangy. Stop after about 1 cup of sugar has been added and taste to decide if you want all two cups...or even more. I found just under two cups to be perfect balance between sweet and tangy and the consistency was perfect.
Spread the creamy frosting on the tops and devour.
Just look at that. This cake is incredibly moist. My kids, even the picky one, loved this cake.
And I do mean they loved the cake, not just the frosting.
There's talk from the kiddos that this should be made again soon as cupcakes.
I'd love to hear if you make this or tried it with another flavor cake mix. Enjoy!