Oh-So-Pretty Pumpkin Cake Recipes for Fall

pumpkin pound cake
Photo: Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Nothing is quite as autumnal as a pumpkin dessert. We have already waxed poetic about our pumpkin pies, but we're just as enthusiastic about our pumpkin cake recipes.

They're warm and nostalgic, light and sweet. They're the perfect blend of fall flavors and an ideal offering for a celebration during the autumn months. There's something for every family member with our array of pumpkin cake recipes. Even novice bakers can pull off a winning Thanksgiving dessert with our Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe, and experts in the kitchen will love the challenge of our Pumpkin Spice Battenberg. With our Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes and Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, each family member can enjoy his or her own dessert without sharing.

Scroll on for 19 of our favorite pumpkin cake recipes, then bake up one of our favorite pumpkin cake recipes for a lovely treat this season.

01 of 18

Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake

Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake

This cake is a gorgeous combination of pumpkin batter, cream cheese batter, pecan-praline filling, and spiced whipped cream. You're welcome.

02 of 18

Pumpkin Spice-Heath Cake

Heath Bar Cake
Alison Miksch

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice-Heath Cake

This might just be the most beloved of our pumpkin cake recipes. It's the ultimate cozy indulgence, with a perfect balance of sweetness and spice that is the season's calling card. The best part? The cake is built from a boxed spice cake mix, which gives you just enough of a shortcut so that you can focus on the embellishment, namely crumbling the toffee bits and blending the sweet, spiced cream cheese frosting.

03 of 18

Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt

Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt
Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Recipe: Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt

Three favorite fall flavors combine in this beloved Bundt cake. Cranberry, apple, and pumpkin, all in a beautiful Bundt? It's a win-win-win for the dessert table.

04 of 18

Pumpkin Pound Cake

pumpkin pound cake
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Recipe: Pumpkin Pound Cake

A pound cake with a seasonal twist, this recipe is as delicious as it is beautiful. We suggest topping it off with a drizzle of maple-butter glaze and crumbled pecans.

05 of 18

Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake

Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake

Heading to a dinner party this fall? This is the dessert you should take with you. It's a pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and cheesecake hybrid that will intrigue and delight. Add the optional praline topping to make it a real showstopper.

06 of 18

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Photographer: Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Erin Merhar; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee

Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Instead of standing over the sideboard cutting slices for each family member, serve individual desserts for adorable presentation and easy serving.

07 of 18

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Pumpkin Spice Cake
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cake

Sugar, spice, and everything nice, this dish is a sure-favorite on any holiday table. Our favorite part? The buttery caramel sauce.

08 of 18

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Pumpkin Pie Cake
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cake

You'll be amazed at how moist white cake and pumpkin pie meld into one dreamy dessert that's only missing a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

09 of 18

Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Recipe: Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

Is there anything your Instant Pot can't do? Free up valuable oven space this Thanksgiving and let your favorite mini appliance handle dessert.

10 of 18

Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Cake
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

Recipe: Pumpkin Cake

With this layer cake, you won't fuss over getting the frosting just right. It looks beautiful with spiced whipped cream spread between the layers and on top for a "naked" look. Sprinkle a little fresh nutmeg on top, and voila!

11 of 18

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

With this dessert mashup recipe, you can satisfy the pumpkin pie and cheesecake lovers at your holiday feast.

12 of 18

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin Dump Cake
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pumpkin Dump Cake

The beauty of a dump cake is in the name—you literally dump a few simple ingredients into a pan, bake it, and you've got a decadent dessert. This fall dessert is one of our favorite ways to transform a box of cake mix.

13 of 18

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Instead of stressing out about decorating an extravagant layer cake, make this rich one-layer cake that's covered in a hefty slathering of pumpkin cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with a spiced cookie crumble with toasted pumpkin seeds.

14 of 18

Pumpkin Spice Battenberg

Pumpkin Spice Battenberg
Greg DuPree

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Battenberg

This beautiful cake is like a present for your table, but the real surprise is the multi-colored sponge cake layers once you cut it open.

15 of 18

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Honey Swiss Meringue

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Honey Swiss Meringue
Jody Horton

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Honey Swiss Meringue

A toasted pecan crust is a festive base for this multi-layer dessert that's definitely photo worthy. One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can prepare it up to Step 6 the night before to get a head start for Thanksgiving.

16 of 18

Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting
Alison Gootee; Styling: Suzonne Stirling

Recipe: Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting

Not only is this pumpkin spice cake from New Orleans food blogger Joy Wilson delicious, but the ribbons of caramel in the frosting make it absolutely gorgeous.

17 of 18

Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans
Photo: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

When in doubt, we can always rely on our Bundt pan for a pretty dessert that won't require intricate decorating. A drizzle of homemade brown sugar icing and a sprinkle of candied pecans take this pumpkin spice cake from everyday to special occasion.

18 of 18

Pumpkin Crisp

Pumpkin Crisp
Southern Living

Recipe: Pumpkin Crisp

This is the perfect dessert to feed a crowd at dinner. This seasonal crisp is the utterly irresistible combination of moist cake, sweet pumpkin, and crunchy pecans. With only eight essential ingredients, this recipe couldn't be easier to make—or more delicious after dinner, for a midday snack, or as a midnight nibble.

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