Pumpkin Magic Cake
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This Pumpkin Magic Cake is made of two delicious layers, one of vanilla cake and a layer of pumpkin pie! As it bakes the pumpkin layer falls to the bottom, thus the magic! Finally, this cake is finished off with a luscious pudding frosting.
I have many a rendition of magic cakes on my blog; but after all, it is pumpkin season, so this Pumpkin Magic Cake is a must! You start out by making a simple yellow cake, using yellow cake mix, add a layer of pumpkin pie, toss it in the oven and watch the magic happen!
What makes this cake “magic” is the fact that the pumpkin pie layer which is on top of the cake layer, falls to the bottom as the cake bakes, ending up with pumpkin on the bottom and cake on top. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, this cake truly is the mother of all cakes, especially if you’re a pumpkin lover such as myself.
Why Make This Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Easy To Make
- Uses simple staple pantry ingredients, such as stored-bought cake mix and instant pudding.
- Step-by-Step Recipe with Video
- Delicious and a Crowd Favorite
Although this is not your traditional magic cake, it’s still a magic cake! This version is extremely simple to make, even though there is a caveat (you do have to wash your mixer bowl 3 times) however, it’s all worth it. With delicious, comforting pumpkin flavor, this is the perfect cake for fall!
Ingredient Notes
Cake layer
- Cake Mix – You can use a box of yellow cake mix or use my yellow cake mix recipe – trust me it’ll be plenty moist!
- Eggs – No cake is complete without eggs.
- Milk – I used 2%, feel free to use whichever fat percentage you’d like.
- Oil – We want a vegetable oil that is super mild and neutral tasting, something like canola oil. This will add tons of moisture.
Pumpkin pie layer
- Pumpkin – Just straight pumpkin from the can.
- Dairy – Heavy cream and evaporated milk. If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can use regular milk.
- Sugar – Packed brown sugar is all we need today. I have made this cake without the brown sugar, so if you’re looking for a cake that’s lower in sugar content, feel free to skip it.
- Spices – Pumpkin pie spice is what we are going to be using in both the pumpkin layer and the frosting layer.
- Eggs – We need eggs to act as a rich binder for our filling.
Frosting
- Pudding – You can use a box of vanilla pudding mix or homemade vanilla pudding, this will ensure our frosting binds and sets well.
- Milk – Be sure your milk is cold before you incorporate it.
- Whipped cream – I used plain old cool whip today. Feel free to use your preference or make your own using my recipe! Just make sure when you incorporate it into your frosting, be sure to fold it in gently.
- Spices – The pumpkin pie spice making a comeback.
How To Make Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Preheat oven: Preheat Oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the Cake: Mix according to package instructions or using the ingredients in the cake layer, then pour into a lightly greased 9×13-inch cake pan. DO NOT BAKE. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl whisk together the ingredients for the pumpkin pie layer until smooth. Slowly pour the pumpkin pie mixture all over the cake mix. Do not mix.
- Bake: Carefully place the cake pan into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly and a toothpick inserted into cake mix comes out clean. NOTE: The cake might be slightly darker than normal so don’t worry, it’s not burnt. You’ll notice the cake layer is on top now. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
- Make the Frosting: Place the vanilla pudding mix into a large bowl, add the pumpkin pie spice and pour in the cold milk. Whisk until combined and starts to thicken. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until it’s completely combined. Spread on top of the cooled cake.
- Serve: Cut into slices and serve immediately or chill the cake for a couple hours.
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Fresh Pumpkin?
You’re ambitious, I’ll give you that! It’s totally possible to use fresh pumpkin and to achieve that 100% homemade flavor.
1) First halve the pumpkin and scoop out all the seeds.
2) Heat an inch of water in a saucepan till boiling. In the meantime, slice the pumpkin into chunks. Boil these pieces of pumpkin briefly before reducing the heat, covering and allowing to simmer for 30 minutes.
3) Drain and cool before removing the pumpkin from the peel. Mash it all up and you’re good to go!
What Else Can I Top My Pumpkin Magic Cake With?
Go ahead and add whatever you see fit to your cake! Whether it be a little extra pumpkin spice, shaved chocolate, caramel sauce, cocoa powder, toffee bits or fresh sliced berries.
Can I Turn This Into Cupcakes?
Yes, you should be able to. Just make sure you watch the baking time, as they won’t take an hour to bake, probably around 30 minutes.
Tips
- You need to let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting layer, otherwise it might melt.
- The baking time could vary greatly depending on your oven, but start taking a peak at around 50 minutes to see how it looks.
- If making your own whipped cream, do not overmix it as you’ll find you’ve accidentally taken it too far and created butter!
Storing Leftovers
In the fridge this pumpkin magic cake will last up to 5 days, just be sure it’s stored in an airtight container.
Freezing
This cake can also be frozen! In the freezer it’ll keep for up to a month. When thawing you’ll want to remove it from the freezer and allow to come to temperature in the fridge for a few hours, then remove it and allow to come up to room temperature right on the counter.
More Related Recipes
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Pumpkin Magic Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
For the Pumpkin Pie
- 15 ounce pumpkin (canned)
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the Frosting
- 5.1 ounce instant vanilla pudding
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup milk (cold)
- 3 cups Cool Whip (or whipping cream (8 oz))
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat Oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the Cake: Mix according to package instructions or using the ingredients in the cake layer, then pour into a lightly greased 9×13-inch cake pan. DO NOT BAKE. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl whisk together the ingredients for the pumpkin pie layer until smooth. Slowly pour the pumpkin pie mixture all over the cake mix. Do not mix.
- Bake: Carefully place the cake pan into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly and a toothpick inserted into cake mix comes out clean. NOTE: The cake might be slightly darker than normal so don't worry, it's not burnt. You'll notice the cake layer is on top now. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
- Make the Frosting: Place the vanilla pudding mix into a large bowl, add the pumpkin pie spice and pour in the cold milk. Whisk until combined and starts to thicken. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until it's completely combined. Spread on top of the cooled cake.
- Serve: Cut into slices and serve immediately or chill the cake for a couple hours.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Feel free to replace the cool whip with regular whipped cream if you wish.
- If preferred, shave some chocolate and top the frosting with it for a bit of chocolate flavor.
- Leftovers: In the fridge this pumpkin magic cake will last up to 5 days, just be sure it’s stored in an airtight container.
- Freezing: This cake can also be frozen! In the freezer it’ll keep for up to a month. When thawing you’ll want to remove it from the freezer and allow to come to temperature in the fridge for a few hours, then remove it and allow to come up to room temperature right on the counter.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Recipe source: I Wash You Dry
Originally published Sept 2014.
What size cake mix … 18.25 or the new 15.25 ??
15.25, though it wouldn’t make much of a difference.
I would like to try this recipe. Any idea what I could use instead of a cake box mix. It is not very common in Germany.
As mentioned in the post, you can make your own using my recipe here: https://cravinghomecooked.com/yellow-cake-mix/
Can you use all evaporated milk instead of heavy cream?
You can! The consistency may be a little different, but it should substitute just fine!
I made this and it turned out amazingly delicious. It’s so easy and light and my husband just raved about it! I did cut the sugar in half and was worried it wouldn’t taste quite as good but it was still fantastic. Will definitely make this one again.
Tried this cake, it was a hit! I was wondering about doing it as cupcakes! What do you think?
I think you should be able to, one thing to keep in mind is baking time, they’ll be done quicker than the whole cake. Use a toothpick to check for doneness.
Can you use milk instead of heavy cream
I haven’t tried it with heavy cream so I’m not too sure, the only issue I see is that the pumpkin layer might not be as firm. Let me know if you try it, I’d love to know if it works.
My family loves this cake.
I would like to save this recipe for Thanksgiving but I don’t see a “print “ button? How come?
I see the “Print” button in the recipe card! Click “Jump to Recipe” at the top of the post do avoid having to scroll through the text.
Hi Joe,I was wondering if I could use chopped pecans on the top?Thanks so much!
Yes sure, I assume you mean after the cake is done baking, you can definitely serve it with some chopped pecans.
My son-in-law is crazy for pumpkin. I am going to. add this to my recipe box and make it next week.
I cant wait to make this!!!!
This dessert was excellent and will be made again! I love your site Jo and it is nice to have new recipes to try!
Thanks, Becky! So happy you’re enjoying my blog!
My godson asks me to make this for his birthday every year. We all love it!!!
Fabulous!! Made it for book club and we all loved it. I did use real whipped cream and it was delicious!
According to the picture, it looks like the pumpkin pie mixture is the bottom layer, but according to the recipe it says the cake mixture is the bottom layer. Please clarify.
You are correct on both counts, if you read the post you’ll see that’s the magic of the cake, the layers invert as the cake bakes.
I would I make this in 2 pans?