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An epic, show-stopping dessert, this Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake is perfect for birthday parties, fall get-togethers, or any major holiday. Two spiced pumpkin cakes baked and stacked with a thick layer of cheesecake in between. Covered generously with cream cheese frosting and decorated with pumpkin candies, this will become your new favorite cake for pumpkin season!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
Everyone needs to sit down and get their seatbelts fastened because I’ve got a doozy of a recipe I’m sharing with you today! Friends, meet my Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake. I’m convinced this is the ultimate dessert you could ever make in the months between September and December. It’s got soft, delicious pumpkin cake, a thick cheesecake layer added in, with a whole lot of cream cheese frosting. It’s not for the faint of heart.
This Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer Cake is the very definition of ridiculous and quite possibly is the start of The Cheesecake Factory going out of business. Just kidding. I love The Cheesecake Factory.
But when I made this first back in 2012 and then again last week, I was reminded again that this is the mammoth, the big kahuna, the heavy hitter of all the pumpkin desserts out there. It’s got everything there is to love about any dessert, plus it’s pretty darn easy to make. It’s like a delicious cousin of my classic cheesecake, my pumpkin cheesecake and the classic pumpkin bar. Oh mama, it’s good.
What is a Cheesecake Cake?
Well, friends, a cheesecake cake is simply a regular cake that is layered with a crust-free New York style cheesecake. This happens to be a pumpkin version, but you absolutely can make this with just about any flavor combination out there. The sky truly is the limit.
Love Pumpkin? Try these other favorites: Pumpkin Drop Biscuits, Pumpkin Pull Apart Monkey Bread, Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler (a great Thanksgiving recipe with over 300 5-star reviews!), and of course Pumpkin Pie.
Use the right tools!
When cake decorating, life gets significantly easier if you use the proper tools. Nothing crazy or expensive, but items that will make a difference. Consider using the following:
- parchment paper – to line all your baking tins for the pumpkin cakes and the cheesecake.
- offset spatula – for spreading the frosting easily and evenly across all layers of cake.
- disposable piping bag – for easy clean up
- the larger Wilton star 1M tip – for making those big rosettes on top of the cake.
How to Make the BEST Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
Before you navigate away from this blog post thinking you simply cannot make such a dessert quite as complex as this, stop right there. This recipe is so so so much easier than you think! Take a peek at the ingredients list in the recipe card and think again. Why yes, that is a cake mix you see.
This recipe is SO easy!! Flexibility is the name of the game. Looks fancy, but it is pretty simple! The steps aren’t hard…they just take a few hours to put all together. For ingredients and exact measurements needed, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is step by step how to make this cake:
Preheat Oven + Prep Cake Pan
Preheat oven to 325° F. Using an 8-inch round cake pan (not a springform pan!), trace a circle on parchment paper, cut out and line bottom of pan. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Make the Creamy Cheesecake Layer
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, whip softened cream cheese. Slowly stir in granulated sugar. Scrape sides of the bowl and mix until sugar is incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time until incorporated into the batter. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and mix again until batter is completely smooth. Stir in sour cream. Pour the cheesecake batter into an 8-inch cake pan.
Create a Water Bath + Bake
Place cheesecake pan into a roasting pan, or other pan with high sides. Fill pan up carefully with very hot water (tap water is fine) until it reaches halfway up the cake pan. Bake 40-50 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and cheesecake has almost completely set.
Remove from oven. Cool. Remove from water bath, wipe pan and refrigerate 3 hours to overnight.
Make the Pumpkin Cakes
While cheesecake cools, make the pumpkin spice cake. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2-8 inch cake pans with parchment paper (just like above) and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine vanilla cake mix, water, oil, eggs, pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!), cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger (or feel free to use pumpkin pie spice). Stir together to incorporate. Do not over mix!
Bake + Cool
Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans, level off the tops and bake 20-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. (A few moist crumbs should be fine.)
Cool 15-20 minutes to room temperature, then remove from warm pans and transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Cream Cheese Frosting
Place cream cheese and butter into a large bowl and whip to incorporate. Stir in vanilla. With mixer on low, slowly stir in powdered sugar, scraping sides as needed. Continue whipping the frosting until it’s smooth and well mixed. Set aside.
Assemble Cheesecake Cake
Cut small dome shape off cooled pumpkin cakes, if present, to create flat cakes. Place one pumpkin cake onto cake stand. Top with cream cheese frosting and add chilled cheesecake. Spread with more cream cheese frosting and then top with second pumpkin cake.
Pro Tip: If the cheesecake has collected some condensation from the fridge, be sure to press with paper towels to dry before stacking in the cake.
Decorate + Serve
Coat entire cake with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting (called a crumb coating), starting on top and working down the sides of the cake. Refrigerate 30-45 minutes to solidify the frosting. (Or freeze for 15 minutes.)
Add a second layer of frosting overtop the crumb coating and use any extra frosting to pipe rosettes around the top border. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg and garnish with pumpkin candies (optional). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Storing Directions
Store any leftover cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge. This cake will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: If you want to store your assembled cake longer, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
FAQ + Baking Tips For Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
Yes, I did say that in my cheesecake recipe post again and again. I am the queen of no water bath cheesecake recipes. For the record, I still think they should go and die. But they really aren’t so bad when you’re making a smaller cheesecake in a pan that is completely sealed (read: NOT a springform pan). If the pan is sealed like the round cake pans we’re using in this recipe, then your cheesecake can’t get ruined by water that seeps in because there is nowhere for the water to seep in. You see what I’m saying?
With a larger cheesecake that requires a springform pan, I absolutely do not recommend using a water bath. For something small like this, I say no big deal.
If you are not a cheesecake person or if this looks like a little *too much* cheesecake for you, then we can’t be friends. Kidding, but sort of not.
If you’d like to reduce the size of the cheesecake layer, feel free to reduce the cheesecake portion of this recipe by one-third. So you would use: 2 packages of cream cheese, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and 6 tablespoons sour cream. Bake in the same fashion, but check it around 35 minutes to be sure you don’t over bake, as baking time may vary.
So, here’s the deal with these cakes. The cheesecake will be the exact same size as the pan you bake it in. I used all 8-inch rounds for this recipe. However, the pumpkin cakes have a tendency to shrink a tiny bit. This means when you stack them up on each other, they won’t be exactly the same width. Don’t worry! This is normal!
How do you fix it? With frosting, of course! Frosting will fix a multitude of sins. Do your best to even them out with frosting along the sides. With the crumb coating, you might still notice they are uneven. That second go-round with the frosting is where you’ll be a little more generous and make them as even as possible.
Another solution that isn’t quite as easy is shaving a tiny little ring of cheesecake off the entire cheesecake layer. It’s easier said than done and I don’t recommend this.
A crumb coating is simply a sacrificial layer of frosting that covers the entire cake that “locks” all the crumbs in that layer before adding a second clean layer of frosting. In between the crumb coating and last layer of frosting, you’ll want to refrigerate your cake for 30-45 minutes (or freeze for 15) to make sure those crumbs don’t make it into your last coating of frosting.
Yes! You can bake each of the layers, let them cool completely. Next, wrap each layer in plastic wrap and freeze each layer separately. When you’re ready to assemble the cake, allow time for the cakes to thaw, make the cream cheese frosting and assemble as you normally would. Refer to the recipe card for assembly directions.
More Pumpkin Cakes to Try!
- Pumpkin Layer Cake
- Nutella Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Roll Cake
- Pumpkin Pie Crunch Cake
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes
If you’re looking for something show-stopping that will make your family and friends’ jaws drop, then this is a sure bet. Be sure to print/share/save/bookmark/pin this recipe because it’s a good one! The recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
Ingredients
for the cheesecake layer-
- 24 oz cream cheese 3 blocks, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 whole eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
for the pumpkin cake-
- 15.25 oz Vanilla Cake Mix 1 box
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup oil
- 4 whole eggs
- 1 cup pure pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
for the frosting-
- 12 oz cream cheese softened, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar about 5 1/4 cups
- Pumpkin Candy optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Using an 8-inch round cake pan (not a springform pan!, trace a circle on parchment paper, cut out and line bottom of pan. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
For the Cheesecake Layer
- In a large bowl, whip softened cream cheese. Slowly stir in granulated sugar. Scrape sides and mix until sugar is incorporated. Stir in vanilla and eggs, one at a time until incorporated into the batter. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and mix again until batter is completely smooth. Stir in sour cream.
- Pour into prepared 8-inch cake pan and place into a roasting pan, or other pan with high sides. Fill pan up carefully with very hot tap water until it reaches half way up the cake pan. Bake 40-50 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and cheesecake has almost completely set. Remove from oven. Cool. Remove from water bath, wipe pan and refrigerate 3 hours to overnight.
For the Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line 2-8 inch cake pans with parchment paper (just like above) and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. in a large bowl, measure out and pour all ingredients. Stir together to incorporate. Do not over mix!
- Divide batter evenly between the two pans, level off the tops and bake 20-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. (A few moist crumbs should be fine.)
- Cool 15-20 minutes, then remove from warm pans and transfer cakes to cooling racks. Cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place cream cheese and butter into a large bowl and whip to incorporate. Stir in vanilla. With mixer on low, slowly stir in powdered sugar, scraping sides as needed.
- Continue whipping frosting until it's smooth and well mixed. Set aside.
Assembling the Cake
- Cut small dome shape off cooled pumpkin cakes, if present, to create flat cakes. Place one pumpkin layer onto cake stand. Top with cream cheese frosting and add chilled cheesecake. (If the cheesecake has collected some condensation from the fridge, be sure to press with paper towels to dry before stacking in the cake.) Spread with more cream cheese frosting and then top with second pumpkin layer. Coat entire cake with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting (called a crumb coating), starting on top and working down the sides of the cake. Refrigerate 30-45 minutes to solidify the frosting. (Or freeze for 15 minutes.)
- Add a second layer of frosting overtop the crumb coating and use any extra frosting to pipe rosettes around the top border. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg and garnish with pumpkin candies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
I have used this cheesecake layer center for several varieties of cake and they are always a hit! Carrot cakes, red velvet, spice cake…and even a Boston Creme Pie (used vanilla cakes, the cheesecake center and a chocolate ganache topping) were all great.
I made the cheesecake last night and just popped the pumpkin cakes in the oven. Can’t wait to have this at my mom’s birthday party later today!
I just wanted to let you all know that the cake batter makes almost exactly 4 cups. So to divide evenly, it’s about 2 cups per pan (for you fellow OCDers who want them to be the same height LOL)
This is the best cake ever! I have made it the last two Saturday’s in a row. My family can’t get enough! Thank you for this recipe!!
I was just wondering if you use a white cake mix or a yellow cake mix?
Either is fine to use!
Pumpkin cakes are the best! I have tons of recipes, but this one definitely looks like a keeper… 🙂
It took me 2 days, but I finally completed this cake! It is FANTASTIC! There was quite a celebration dance in my kitchen last night after tasting the final product. Thanks for such a great recipe!!
Oh this looks super delish! I am definitely going to need to make this one soon. I havent made a cheesecake cake before. And tis the season for pumpkin so this looks like a great recipe to start with 🙂
This looks amazing! I love pumpkin cake with anything cream cheese!
Ooohh, I can almost taste this!! I want to make this, but there are no instructions for getting the cheescake out of the pan. Are there any tricks to ckeeping in one piece from pan to cake layer??!!
Because you lightly greased the pan and lined the bottom with parchment paper, the cheesecake should pop right out after it’s completely chilled.
thank you!!
Why do you recommend to not use a springform pan?
WOW! That is amazing! YUM! 😀
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And here I was just talking about how I will be shunned from the blog world b/c I am not a fan of pumpkin and I see this and instantly want to just shove my face in it. I wonder if it is good enough or (not slap you in the face pumpkin enough) to convert me to a pumpkin lover???
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So glad you posted this because I am definitely making this!
This cake is ridonkulous. I love pimped out vanilla cake. I’m already thinking about how I can make this a Lemon Cheesecake Cake. WHAT.
This looks amazing! I believe I will be making this soon. Thanks!!!!
I wouldn’t mind if this were my birthday cake! Absolutely deeeelicious.
This looks so delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
This looks amazing. I am going to make this for Thanksgiving.
OMG your bad ! Now I’m desperate for a bite :o)
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious!! I love all the “fall inspired” recipes you’ve been posting lately with pumpkin or apple in the title! hehe 🙂 I’m a sucker for all things fall!
Looks delicious to me. You barely got the picture before the cake was gone.
Oh my heavens. Totally blogworthy…thank goodness everyone told you so! 🙂
I think we’re all glad you took the pictures! 11pm pics or not… it still looks so good Lauren!
Cheesecake + cake photos always make my mouth water, even if they’re taken at 11 p.m. with no natural light! This looks totally, totally divine.