Name: 15 Minute Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: Regular kitchen tools; 2 large mixing bowls; Balloon whisk; 8.5" X 4.5" loaf pan OR; 8 mini loaf pans (2.35" X 3.75"); 1 cup chocolate chips; 250 ml pumpkin puree*; 115 grams light brown sugar*; 115 grams granulated sugar; 75 ml neutral oil*; 2 eggs; 2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 200 grams cake flour*; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon*; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Jump to Recipe

Make easy stir and bake pumpkin spice cake loaf with only 15 minutes active time - no mixer required! Delicious treat for Fall teatime or Thanksgiving gift giving.

Close up of mini pumpkin cake loaves on a cooling rack, out of focus in the background are fall spices, cinnamon sticks and a little pumpkin.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
What Do These Pumpkin Cakes Taste Like?
Which Pan Size Should I Use?
Topping Ideas for Pumpkin Loaves
Ingredients & Substitutions
Step By Step Photos
How to Store, Freeze & Make in Advance
Recipe

I created this quick mini pumpkin cake loaf recipe as a fun and easy Fall treat for the children to pack in their lunchbox and for my own tea time after lunch (now that the kids are in school, I have a little bit of time to enjoy an afternoon treat, yay!) It's one of my new favorite recipes because it's so easy to prepare and easily shareable with family and friends. It feels so nice to have the ability to share a sense of community and stay connected throughout the year even when you have young children. We had lots of testers during the creation of this recipe, I ended up packing these little pumpkin cakes up in autumn themed baking paper and dropping them off to a few friends. I received great feedback for how delicious they were and will definitely be making more this Fall season. I hope you enjoy this simple cozy recipe.

XOXO,
Mimi

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Quick - make it with 15 minutes active time!
Easy - just bake and eat! No need for frosting.
No Mixer Needed - 2-bowls, sieve, spatula and whisk is all you need.
Festive - pumpkin and spice flavors for Thanksgiving and Halloween.
Easily Transportable - for bringing to Thanksgiving dinner or Fall parties.

Top down view of pumpkin cake loaves on a cooling rack, close up shot reveals the inviting golden brown hue of the crust.

What Do These Pumpkin Cakes Taste Like?

These pumpkin cake loaves are made using the simple muffin method of mixing dry and wet ingredients together which yields a tender yet slightly denser cake texture than using the creaming, foam or sponge methods which requires additional steps to incorporate more air into the batter, resulting in a lighter texture. Flavor wise, these cake loaves are packed with warm spice flavors and although, not frosted, they are sufficiently sweetened with the addition of chocolate chips.

These sturdy cake loaves can be conveniently packaged for travel or overnight shipping (with appropriate cooling packs). If you need a moister and softer pumpkin cake try: Pumpkin 3-Milk Tres Leches or try Asian-style Pumpkin Chiffon Cake Roll for the fluffiest pumpkin cake you've ever had. Lastly, if you still prefer easy pumpkin cakes with a bit of festive decoration as a beautiful Thanksgiving dessert, try: 3D Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes Without a Mold.

Top down view of mini pumpkin cake loaves topped with chocolate chips resting in a cake loaf pan.

Which Pan Size Should I Use?

Either a single (8.5" X 4.5") loaf pan or 8 mini (2.35" X 3.75") loaf pans can be used for this recipe. I've tested both sizes and provided appropriate baking times for each. Feel free to experiment with other pan sizes as well since this is a sturdy cake that will bake well in a variety of pans. You just need to pay attention to the doneness throughout its time in the oven. Watch for a golden brown top and a skewer inserted, comes out clean. If your pan is deep, you might need to tent the pan with aluminum foil to prevent the tops from browning too much before the insides are done.

In focus view of mini pumpkin cake loaves inside the cake pan as viewed from the side.

Topping Ideas for Pumpkin Loaves

I prefer to use chocolate chips as toppings because they provide sweetness and flavor while being easily assessible. You can substitute the chocolate chips partially or entirely with dried cranberries, pecans, candied ginger (finely chopped) or candied oranges (finely chopped). Additionally, you can finish off the top with a maple syrup glaze or store-bought caramel sauce.

Ingredients for pumpkin cake loaves lad out on a marble counter. — TIP: For efficiency, lay out the ingredients into 3 groups before you start.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Dry Ingredients

Cake flour - a low protein flour which will help make this cake softer than if using AP flour. It usually has a protein content between 6-8% while pastry flour, also a lower protein flour, has a protein content between 8-9%. Grocery stores usually sell a combination of cake and pastry flour at 7-9% protein. It can be substituted with all-purpose flour but the cake will be a little tougher than if using cake flour.
Baking soda - leavening agent
Baking powder - leavening agent
Ground cinnamon - All the spices together can be substituted with pumpkin spice mix. Ground cloves and nutmeg adds dimension to the spice flavor profile but can be substituted with cinnamon.
Ground ginger
Ground cloves
Ground nutmeg
Sea salt - provides a nice contrast to the sweet taste in the cake and brings out the flavors.

Wet Ingredients

Pumpkin puree - Use canned pumpkin only and not pumpkin pie filling. The ingredients list should say 100% pumpkin.
Light brown sugar - can be substituted with dark brown sugar. It can also be substituted with granulated sugar but a brown sugar is ideal.
Granulated sugar - can be substituted with brown sugar, the cake texture will be softer and a little denser.
Neutral oil - Neutral oil choices: canola, grapeseed, avocado.
Eggs - large size
Vanilla extract - rounds out flavors.

Topping

Chocolate chips - Hershey's brand dark chocolate was used here. It provided a good amount of sweetness to go with the cake body. It's easily accessible at most grocery stores and suitable for everyday baking but to elevate the depth of flavor, you can try using Ghiradelli chocolate chips.

Supplies

Regular baking tools PLUS:
8.5" X 4.5" loaf pan OR 8 mini loaf pans (2.35" X 3.75")
Balloon whisk
Sieve
2 large mixing bowls

Side close up view of mini pumpkin cake loaves on a cooling rack.

Step By Step Photos

Combine Wet Ingredients

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Grease cake pans with butter. In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients and whisk together. In another large bowl, with a whisk, stir well all the wet ingredients.

3 process shots showing: dry ingredients being sifted; wet ingredients being stirred; and final results of incorporated wet ingredients. — **Visual Cue**: the wet pumpkin mixture should look homogenous before moving onto the next step. Since the flour has been introduced yet, you can stir it more generously to combine.

Add Dry Ingredients

Add dry ingredients into the wet pumpkin mixture. With a whisk, stir until just combined. Do not over mix.

2 process shorts are shown: dry ingredients being added into the wet mix; and the end result of a fully incorporated pumpkin cake batter that is thick and shiny without traces of flour, — **TIP**: To prevent excess gluten formation leading to tough cakes, after the flour is introduced, gently stir until just combined. You'll have a chance to mix the batter a little more after the chocolate chip is added.

Fold In Topping

With a spatula, gently fold in chocolate chips, reserving a handful for the tops of the cake if you prefer a more aesthetic appearance. Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Optional: sprinkle a few reserve chocolate chips on top of the batter.

2 process shots are shown: chocolate chips being folded into the pumpkin batter; and pumpkin batter being spooned into the loaf pans. — Mini loaves are great for school snacks, Thanksgiving dinner parties, Fall tea time and Halloween events. This pumpkin cake batter bakes wonderfully in a single loaf pan as well.

Bake

Bake for 22-25 minutes (mini loaves) OR 40-50 minutes (single loaf) until the tops are golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Gently run a butter knife around the edge of the cake to release.

Close up shot of a pumpkin cake loaf that is split open, the crumbs look open and the cake body looks tender.

How to Store, Freeze & Make in Advance

Pumpkin spice cake loaves can stay fresh in an air-tight container for 2 days at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge. They freeze really well too! Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil or simply place them in a freezer Ziplock bag. They keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe

Yield: 8 Mini Loaves

15 Minute Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake

Make easy stir and bake pumpkin spice cake loaves with 15 minutes active time - no mixer required! A delicious treat for Fall teatime or Thanksgiving gift giving.

Active Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes

Total Time 37 minutes