Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer Cake

This Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer Cake has two layers of moist pumpkin cake and a layer of spiced cheesecake! All the flavor and textures in the cake are so wonderful together – it’s such a great holiday dessert!

If you love pumpkin dessert recipes, you have to make this Pumpkin Spice Baked Alaska. It’s beautiful and delicious!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake - layers of moist pumpkin cake and spiced cheesecake! Perfect for Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake - layers of moist pumpkin cake and spiced cheesecake! Perfect for Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer Cake

So this weekend was quite the adventure. We went to register for the babies and my goodness there’s SO MUCH STUFF! I knew there’d be a lot, but it’s seriously so much. About 10 minutes into things the hubs looked at me with wide eyes and said, “Do you have any idea what’s going on right now?” Ha!

While I knew more about baby stuff than he did, there was still no way to know the difference between things without help. And even though we’ve “registered”, I still feel like there needs to be some fine tuning. For example, I added a diaper bag primarily to remind me to look at diaper bags. 🙂 I had NO idea what features I wanted and I started running low on energy.

I think my next step is to ask friends some more specific questions about the things I still don’t know what to do about. Before looking at things this weekend, I didn’t even know what to ask. Now I have a little more of an idea. Not to mention, like, what things do I actually need two of for the twins and what things can I get away with one of? It’s so nutty all the stuff. I have no idea what I’m doing. 🙂

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake - layers of moist pumpkin cake and spiced cheesecake! Perfect for Thanksgiving!Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake - layers of moist pumpkin cake and spiced cheesecake! Perfect for Thanksgiving!

Fortunately, when it comes to cake, I’m a little more on my game. And this is definitely a cake for those who love some cake. With two layers of cake and a layer of cheesecake, it’s full of tons of awesome. Cheesecake + cake = what’s not to love?

How to Make The Best Pumpkin Layer Cake

You’ll first want to make the cheesecake, since the baking and cooling time is longest. I usually make the cheesecake a day ahead to break it all up. The cheesecake is crust-less, so you can bake it right in the same cake pan that you’ll use for the cake layers. That way you know they’re all the same size when you go to build the cake. I line the pan with aluminum foil, so it’s easy to remove from the cake pan later, without messing up the cheesecake.

The cake layers are pretty straight forward. They use the creaming method and are light, moist cakes that are full of pumpkin flavor and spices! I used all my favorite fall spices in both the cakes and cheesecake. I considered just adding cinnamon to the cheesecake, but I’m SO glad I added the nutmeg and cloves as well. That extra bit of flavor makes a big difference. SO good!

The whole cake is frosted with a classic cinnamon cream cheese frosting. If you’d prefer a lighter frosting with such a heavy cake, feel free to try out this whipped cream cheese frosting. Either will be delicious, one is just lighter and the other is more cream cheese-y.

The final cake is fall heaven! There are few things better than the combo of cake and cheesecake together. I love them both and this way there’s no need to decide between them. It also makes a wonderful celebration cake for the holidays. Yay for pumpkin and spices!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake - layers of moist pumpkin cake and spiced cheesecake! Perfect for Thanksgiving!Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake - layers of moist pumpkin cake and spiced cheesecake! Perfect for Thanksgiving!


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A Slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer Cake
Recipe

Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer Cake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 53 minutes
  • Yield: 14-16 Slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer Cake has two layers of moist pumpkin cake and a layer of spiced cheesecake! All the flavor and textures in the cake are so wonderful together – it’s such a great holiday dessert!


Ingredients

PUMPKIN CAKE LAYERS

  • 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp (45ml) vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 large egg white, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp (8g) baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 3/4 cup (406g) pumpkin puree

SPICED CHEESECAKE

  • 24 oz (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup (207g) sugar
  • 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
  • 1 cup (230g) sour cream
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • 16 oz (452g) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup (224g) butter, room temperature
  • 12 cups (1380g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CHEESECAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C). Line the entire inside of a 9 inch cake pan with aluminum foil. Press it into the pan to get it as flat as you can. You’ll use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan when it’s baked and cooled.
2. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour together until combined. Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and and spices and mix on low speed until well combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter into the lined cake pan.
6. Place the cake pan inside another larger pan. I use a larger cake pan, but you can use a roasting pan or any other larger baking pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour.
7. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Do not open the door or you’ll release the heat.
8. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. This cooling process helps the cheesecake cool slowly to prevent cracks.
9. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours.

TO MAKE THE CAKE LAYERS:

10. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
11. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
12. Add the vanilla extract and vegetable oil and mix until combined.
13. Add eggs and egg white in two batches, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is combined.
14. Add the dry ingredients to a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine.
15. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined. Add the pumpkin puree to the batter and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well combined. The batter will be thick.
16. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
17. Bake for 23-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs.
18. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes, then remove from pans to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING AND BUILD THE CAKE:

19. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in a large mixer bowl and mix until smooth.
20. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
21. Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon and mix until smooth.
22. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
23. To build the cake, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the two pumpkin cakes.
24. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake layer.
25. Use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the cake pan, remove the foil and place the cheesecake on top of the cake.
26. Spread another cup of frosting evenly on top of the cheesecake, then add the second layer of cake on top.
27. Frost the outside of the cake.
28. To create a pattern on the sides of the cake, lightly press an offset spatula into the bottom of the side of the cake. Gradually move the tip of the spatula around the cake as you spin the cake on a turntable. After one row is complete, move the spatula just above the row and create the next one.
29. Pipe some swirls of frosting onto the top edge of the cake, then add a few sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Cake is best for 3-4 days when frosted and in an airtight container.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 856
  • Sugar: 109.9 g
  • Sodium: 566.1 mg
  • Fat: 32.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 132.8 g
  • Protein: 12.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 147.6 mg

Keywords: pumpkin cake, pumpkin cake recipe, pumpkin cheesecake recipe, best pumpkin cheesecake, cream cheese frosting recipe, pumpkin dessert recipe

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Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake - layers of moist pumpkin cake and spiced cheesecake! Perfect for Thanksgiving!

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25 Comments
  1. Lori

    This looks so good, and pumpkin cheesecake stuff is one of my sister’s favorite things! I want to make it for her surprise birthday party next month. We are planning for around 50 people so a 9 x 13 sheet cake (maybe 2) would probably work best for the amount of people. I wonder if doubling the recipe would make a sheet cake, or any ideas of a recipe conversion for a sheet cake? Thank you!

    1. Lindsay

      Are you looking for a cheesecake about the size of this cheesecake, but pumpkin flavored? If so, you should be able to follow this pumpkin cheesecake recipe, but bake it according to the other one I linked to.

    1. Tina Sullivan

      Hi Darla! Did you end up using the 8 inch pan? If so how did it come out? I too only have 8 inch and then jump to 10 inch pans.

      Thanks!

      Tina

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29