Description
Pumpkin Spice Gooey Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a cozy fall dessert with a plush, gooey crumb, warm pumpkin spice, and a silky tangy frosting that ties every bite together, featuring chocolate chips and cherry bursts for extra decadence and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 – 3.5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (optional)
- Optional substitutions: Dairy-free: use vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Heartier crumb: replace 25–30% of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for nuttiness and fiber.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 pan with parchment.
- Cream butter and sugars until very light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time; mix in vanilla.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt; add just until combined.
- Fold in cherries and chocolate chips; spread batter into pan.
- Bake 25–32 minutes until edges set and center springs back softly for a gooey finish.
- Cool in pan until just warm before frosting.
- Frosting method: Beat cream cheese smooth; add butter; add powdered sugar gradually; mix in vanilla; add pumpkin spice to taste; frost cooled cake.
Notes
- Pat cherries dry thoroughly to prevent wet pockets that can disrupt the gooey set and frosting adhesion.
- Cream butter and sugars until very light to incorporate air for lift without sacrificing gooey texture.
- Mix dry ingredients just until combined to avoid chewy crumb.
- For clean slices, chill frosted cake 20–30 minutes, cut with warm knife, wiping between cuts.
- Add 1/2–1 teaspoon pumpkin spice to frosting for flavor balance.
- Bake until edges are set and center springs back softly for gooey texture.
- Refrigerate frosted cake for safety; bring to room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25–32 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: ~420
- Sugar: ~36 g
- Sodium: ~190 mg
- Fat: ~22 g
- Saturated Fat: ~13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ~8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: ~52 g
- Fiber: ~2 g
- Protein: ~5 g
- Cholesterol: ~70 mg