Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake

This easy Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake is light, fluffy, perfectly sweet, and topped with a maple cream cheese glaze. This is what fall dreams are made of! This easy loaf cake comes together in under 1 hour and has simple ingredients. And the secret ingredient, olive oil, makes for the BEST moist and velvety cake that everyone will love!

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cake Recipe

• Moist – The olive oil combined with the pumpkin puree in this cake ensures the entire thing not only comes out of the oven moist, but it stays that way even when it’s stored. No dry pumpkin loaves this fall!
• Easy to Make – Just whisk everything together in a mixing bowl, pour into a loaf or cake pan, and bake. So easy!
• Versatile – Perfect for a sweet brunch cake, a dessert for a fall gathering, or for pairing with an Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai at breakfast! Any way you enjoy it, this cake is handy to make for all things fall.
• Cozy Flavors Galore – The pumpkin, warm spices, fruity olive oil, tangy creamy cheese, and buttery maple all come together to make a comforting slice that everyone loves.

Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake Recipe

Fall desserts are our absolute favorite, and this Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze is the perfect way to celebrate the season! I know what you’re thinking—olive oil in cake? Trust me, it’s a game-changer. It adds this perfect touch of moisture while letting the pumpkin and spices steal the show and results in the FLUFFIEST, light and perfectly sweet cake slice!

Plus, we’re topping it all off with a maple cream cheese glaze that takes the flavor to a whole new level of yum. Whether you’re making this pumpkin cake recipe for a fall gathering or just enjoying it as an everyday fall treat, this cake is the ultimate seasonal treat.

RELATED: 27+ Easy Fall Desserts

Ingredients in Glazed Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake

The cake recipe makes a light and moist cake, and the optional but amazing maple glaze takes it to another level. Here’s what’s in it:

Pumpkin Cake Ingredients

• Flour – All Purpose flour works perfectly in this bread recipe. You can substitute with whole wheat flour, but the loaf may be a little denser.
• Sugar – White sugar sweetens the cake and is incorporated simply into the cake batter. For a deeper flavor, use half brown sugar and half white sugar.
• Baking Powder/Baking Soda/Salt
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – Pumpkin spice adds warm spices that compliment the pumpkin flavor so well. Cinnamon would work great, too!
• Olive Oil – You won’t believe the unique flavor and moisture the olive oil adds to the pumpkin cake. It elevates it in such a simple way! Use regular olive oil, not extra virgin olive oil because that is too strong of a flavor.
• Pumpkin Puree – Plain pumpkin puree is simply canned pumpkin that is picked and canned at its peak ripeness making it so flavorful and delicious.
• Eggs – The binder in the recipe. Use large eggs for best results.
• Bourbon Vanilla Extract – Despite the name, this extract doesn’t contain any bourbon. It’s a reference to the Bourbon Islands which includes the island of Madagascar. This type of vanilla is made exclusively from beans grown there which in turn produces a stronger, bolder flavor. You can substitute it with pure vanilla extract.

Maple Cream Cheese Glaze Ingredients

• Butter – The melted butter mellows the cream cheese’s tanginess and adds a decadence.
• Cream Cheese – You will love how the tangy, rich cream cheese balances the sweet fluffy pumpkin cake.
• Powdered Sugar – The powdered sugar melts so smoothly into the glaze making a silky glaze.
• Maple Syrup – Just a bit of syrup adds the maple flavor that brings in another cozy warm fall flavor. It’s SO GOOD!
• Bourbon Vanilla Extract
• Salt

How to Make Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake

Pumpkin Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients, then make a well in the flour mixture and add in the liquid ingredients.
3. Mix until even just combined.
4. Pour the batter into a 9×5″ loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 30-35 min until toothpick comes out clean loaf pan.
6. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, and remove it from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

Maple Cream Cheese Glaze (Optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the glaze.
2. Mix the glaze with a hand mixer or whisk.
3. Frost the top of the loaf with the glaze, allowing it to drip down the sides.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

• Don’t over-mix the batter. For a softer cake texture mix the batter until everything is mixed but not more than that. Over-mixing can lead to a denser texture of the cake.
• Make it gluten-free by swapping the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
• Use room-temperature cream cheese for best results on the glaze. Soft cream cheese is much easier to combine with the other glaze ingredients than cold cream cheese.
• Skip the glaze if you want something faster, lighter, or less sweet. Although the glaze is one of the best parts of this cake, it is completely optional and will save you a little time if you don’t make it.
• Make the cake in a larger loaf pan for a shorter wider cake that cooks about 10 minutes faster.

Topping Ideas for Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake

If you’re looking for other topping ideas (aside from the maple cream cheese glaze), here are some of our favorite ways to top Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake:

• Powdered Sugar
• Whipped Cream
• Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream
• Buttercream Icing
• Chopped Walnuts
• Mascarpone Whipped Cream
• Maple Syrup

Storing Homemade Glazed Pumpkin Cake

This Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake is so moist, and won’t dry out as long as you store it correctly. Here’s what to do:

Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, beeswax wraps, or in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or freeze it for up to 2-3 months.

Easy Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Delight
• Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Recipe
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
• Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars

More Fall Desserts You’ll Love

• Snickerdoodle Cake
• Baked Apple Croissant
• Chocolate Chess Pie
• Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Bread Pudding Recipe

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