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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Published: Oct 10, 2021 Modified: Apr 11, 2023 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Layered Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional graphic for layered pumpkin spice latte cake

    This layered pumpkin spice cake with buttercream frosting has a caffeinated twist. Made with delicious espresso buttercream, every bite tastes like a pumpkin spice latte.

    pumpkin spice latte cake on a metal cakestand

    This simple pumpkin latte cake is made using boxed cake mix and pumpkin puree so that every bite is flavorful and moist but without a lot of effort. The frosting is a delicious blend of instant coffee and homemade buttercream and when you put them all together the cake looks, smells, and tastes amazing.

    The semi-sweet chocolate ganache on top also helps to cut back on some of the sweetness and still gives you an indulgently rich taste in every slice.

    Serve this cake up throughout the Fall, and it's sure to be a hit. Serve it up with some Homemade Pumpkin Spice Creamer in your coffee, and you have a perfect pairing.

    Why This Recipe Works

    1. It's pretty simple. When it comes to making cakes, they can be challenging, but thanks to our boxed cake base, this recipe is actually a lot easier to make than you might think.
    2. It's impressive. Serve it up for a holiday or a party and watch everyone's jaws drop. This cake is as impressive to look at as it is tasty.
    3. It's really moist. This cake is so delicious, and it stays that way for days! Unlike some bakery cakes where the cake dries out by day 2, you can still eat fresh-tasting cake on day 4.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🧾 Substitutions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    ingredients needed to make pumpkin spice latte cake

    🥘 Ingredients

    For the Cake, you will need:

    Boxed Spice Cake Mix- A box of spiced cake mix is needed for the base of this recipe.

    Pumpkin Puree- Use homemade or canned pumpkin puree for a real pumpkin taste.

    Large Eggs- These are the binding agent in the recipe and help the cake stay together.

    Canola Oil- You will need cooking oil to help the cake stay moist. You can use canola oil or vegetable oil, depending on what you have on hand.

    Coffee- for a nice coffee flavor, use cooled coffee to ring the batter together. Milk or water can be used instead (but they won't be as flavorful).

    Sour Cream- Use sour cream to make the cake richer in taste.

    All-Purpose Flour- Adding in a little flour will help us get the cake batter to the correct consistency.

    Spices- You will need both ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg to make this cake taste warm and inviting.

    Vanilla Extract- Add some vanilla to the cake for some more flavor enhancement.

    For the Frosting, you will need:

    Powdered Sugar- Powdered sugar will make the frosting smooth and sweet.

    Butter- Use butter (salted or unsalted) to make the frosting rich and creamy.

    Salt- Adding in a little salt will help to naturally enhance the flavors well.

    Instant Espresso- Use instant espresso or coffee (the dry stuff) to help give our frosting a caffeinated coffee flavor.

    For the ganache, you will need:

    Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips- Using semi-sweet chocolate will give us a richer flavor and allow us a nice contrast from the sweetness.

    Heavy Whipping Cream- Use heavy cream to get the ganache to the correct spreading consistency.

    For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Mixing Bowls
    • 8 inch cake pans
    • Whisk
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make pumpkin spice latte cake with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Cake

    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

    wet ingredients for cake in a mixing bowl

    Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, coffee, and sour cream to a large mixing bowl.

    mixed wet ingredients for cake in a mixing bowl

    Whisk together until blended.

    dry ingredients added to wet ingredients in a glass mixing bowl

    Add in the cake mix, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg,

    pumpkin spice coffee cake batter in a mixing bowl

    Whisk until just combined.

    cake batter in 3 6 inch cake pans

    Divide the batter into (3) 6-inch cake pans or (2) 8-inch cake pans.

    baked pumpkin cake in 6 inch cake pans

    Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.

    Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, and then remove the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.

    Frosting

    butter and espresso powder in a mixing bowl

    In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, salt, and espresso powder.

    creamed butter and epresso in a mixing bowl

    Whip together until fluffy. This should take about 1 minute.

    powdered sugar added to espresso butter mixture in a bowl

    Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, blending well between each addition. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.

    creamy espresso buttercream in a mixing bowl

    Add a tablespoon of milk and the vanilla. If needed, add in a little more milk. Beat until light and fluffy in texture.

    Assembly

    a 6 inch cake with the top leveled off

    Slice off any obvious domes on your cake so that they stack more easily.

    frosting on top of pumpkkin cake

    Frost the tops of two cooled cake layers.

    tacked pumpkin cake with frosting between the layers

    Stack all of the cake layers so that the frosted tops are now the filling between the layers.

    espresso buttercream frosted around pumpkin cake

    Frost the outside with more buttercream.

    Try to level out the frosting and make it smooth.

    Ganache

    Add heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Remove it from the microwave just before it starts to bubble up.

    Add the chocolate chips to the bowl and place a plate over the top of the bowl. Let rest for 3-5 minutes.

    Whisk together the cream and milk until it comes together into a nice and smooth ganache.

    Have the ganache cool to room temperature before drizzling it over the top of the cake.

    Add any extra boarders or peaks with the remaining frosting or add seasonal sprinkles.

    Store in the fridge or slice and serve. Enjoy!

    upclose side view of chocoalte ganach dripping down the espresso buttercream on the pumpkin cake

    🧾 Substitutions

    Sour Cream. If you would like to, you can swap out the requested sour cream for plain flavored Greek yogurt. Regular yogurts will not work out because they're too sweet and have too much liquid content, but Greek yogurt is thick and perfect.

    Coffee. This pumpkin spice latte cake recipe makes sense to include coffee in the actual cake batter, but you can swap it out for regular water or milk if desired.

    Spices. If you do not wish to use cinnamon and nutmeg, you can swap them out for two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead.

    Pumpkin pie spice. You can DIY your own pumpkin pie spice by mixing together 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (or 5 teaspoons) along with 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves or allspice. Mix together and then use as much as directed. Save the rest for future recipes for up to 3 months.

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    After you make the espresso frosting, the texture will be slightly grainy (as a result of the coffee granules), but thanks to the added milk in the frosting, the granules will be softened and after several hours or a day, the frosting will be smooth in texture.

    If you omit the milk in the buttercream and do not add any liquid (making the frosting very thick), the coffee granules may not soften at all as they need to use that extra moisture.

    You can make this cake in (2) 8-inch round cake pans or in (3) 6-inch round cake pans. The recipe card below has the proper baking times for each, so pick what size cake you want and have fun!

    💭 FAQs

    How long is espresso frosting good for?

    The frosting, once made, can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months before thawing overnight in the fridge and being used.

    How long is pumpkin spice latte cake good for?

    This cake is good for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight or well-covered container in the fridge. The frosting should be kept chilled to prevent the cake from spoiling.

    Can I freeze the pumpkin latte cake?

    Yes, once you have frosted the cake, you can freeze it if desired. You can also freeze the cake layers instead, and this would make the frosting and assembly much easier as the cake crumbs are less likely to get into the frosting layers. If freezing a frosted cake, do so for up to 3 months, but do not add the ganache until closer to serving time as it will "sweat" as it thaws.

    sliced pumpkin spice latte cake

    More great pumpkin recipes to check out soon

    • Edible No Cook Pumpkin Playdough
    • Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes
    • Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

    📖 Recipe

    downward angled view of pumpkin spice latte cake
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Layered Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

    This layered pumpkin spice cake with buttercream frosting has a caffeinated twist. Made with delicious espresso buttercream, every bite tastes like a pumpkin spice latte.
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Cool 2 hours hrs
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
    Servings: 16 servings
    Calories: 529kcal
    Cost Recipe $9.39 / Serving $0.58
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowls
    • 8 inch cake pans
    • Whisk
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 1 box (15.25oz) Spice cake mix ($1.24)
    • 1 can (15oz) Pumpkin puree ($2.62)
    • 3 large Eggs ($0.24)
    • ⅓ cup Canola oil ($0.16)
    • ½ cup Coffee ($0.02)
    • ½ cup Sour cream ($0.40)
    • 2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour ($0.01)
    • 2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon ($0.20)
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg ($0.02)

    Frosting

    • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract ($0.06)
    • 4-5 cups Powdered sugar ($0.92)
    • 1 cup Unsalted butter ($1.50)
    • 1-2 Tablespoon Heavy whipping cream ($0.12)
    • ½ teaspoon Salt *omit if using salted butter ($0.05)
    • 2 ½ teaspoon Instant espresso ($0.35)

    Ganache

    • 1 bag (6oz) Chocolate chips ($0.98)
    • ½ cup Heavy cream ($0.50)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Cake

    • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
    • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, coffee, and sour cream until blended.
    • Add in the cake mix, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, whisking until just combined.
    • Divide the batter into (3) 6 inch cake pans or (2) 8 inch cake pans.
    • Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean. Note that 6 inch cake pans will take about 5-10 minutes longer than the larger sized cake pans.
    • Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.

    Frosting

    • In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the butter, salt, and espresso powder until fluffy. This should take about 1 minute.
    • Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, blending well between each addition. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
    • Add in a tablespoon of milk and the vanilla. If needed add in a little more milk. Beat until light and fluffy in texture.

    Ganache

    • Add heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Remove it from the microwave just before it starts to bubble up.
    • Add the chocolate chips to the bowl and place a plate over the top of the bowl. Let rest for 3-5 minutes.
    • Whisk together the cream and milk until it comes together into a nice and smooth ganache.

    Assembly

    • When the cakes have cooled, stack and layer them with the espresso buttercream as the filling and outer frosting.
    • Have the ganache cool to room temperature before drizzling over the top of the cake.
    • Slice and serve.

    Notes

    Substitutions

    • Sour Cream. If you would like to, you can swap out the requested sour cream for plain flavored Greek yogurt. Regular yogurts will not work out because they're too sweet and have too much liquid content but Greek yogurt is thick and perfect.
    • Coffee. This pumpkin spice latte cake recipe makes sense to include coffee in the actual cake batter but you can swap it out for regular water or milk if desired.
    • Spices. If you do not wish to use cinnamon and nutmeg you can swap them out for two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead.

    Recipe Tips

    • After you make the espresso frosting the texture will be slightly grainy (as a result of the coffee granules) but thanks to the added milk in the frosting, the granules will be softened and after several hours or a day the frosting will be smooth in texture.
    • If you omit the milk in the buttercream and do not add in any liquid (making the frosting very thick) the coffee granules may not soften at all as they need to use that extra moisture.
    • You can make this cake in (2) 8 inch round cake pans or in (3) 6 inch round cake pans.

    Storage

    • The frosting once made can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months before thawing overnight in the fridge and being used.
    • This cake is good for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight or well-covered container in the fridge. The frosting should be kept chilled to prevent the cake from spoiling.
    • Once you have frosted the cake you can freeze it if desired. You can also freeze the cake layers instead and this would make the frosting and assembly be much easier as the cake crumbs are less likely to get into the frosting layers. If freezing a frosted cake, do so for up to 3 months, but do not add the ganache until closer to serving time as it will "sweat" as it thaws.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 529kcal | Carbohydrates: 65.2g | Protein: 4.5g | Fat: 28.7g | Saturated Fat: 14.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 73.7mg | Sodium: 278.5mg | Potassium: 200.8mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 48.8g | Vitamin A: 345.3IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 87.1mg | Iron: 1.8mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    I'm Nicole and I am the owner and recipe developer here at Beeyond Cereal. I love saving money and one of the best places to trim expenses is in the kitchen. With this site, we are serving up tasty and frugal homemade dishes that the whole family will enjoy.

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