Description
This Pumpkin Spice Gooey Cake features a plush, gooey crumb with warm pumpkin spice flavors and a silky tangy cream cheese frosting. Chocolate chips and chopped cherries add bursts of sweetness and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
- Cake:
- 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
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 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
Keywords: Pumpkin Spice Gooey Cake, pumpkin spice cake, gooey pumpkin cake, cream cheese frosting, spiced pumpkin cake, moist pumpkin cake, fall dessert, easy pumpkin cake, cherries and chocolate cake, pumpkin spice frosting