Summer was such a happy season for me as a child that I didn’t want it to end. I still love summer, but now that I’m an adult, I begin to anticipate fall right around the time when I’m tired of harsh, hot temperatures, rumbling air conditioners and flies buzzing around at cookouts. Now is that time for me. It’s so hot where I live right now, that I’m welcoming the cool, crisp fall weather and all it brings.
The beautiful warm flavors of fall are perfectly captured in these Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cakes. The moist, perfectly spiced cakes are topped with a cinnamon swirl which is basically cinnamon roll filling. I topped them with Vanilla Bean Icing, but you can also make it cream cheese icing by swapping out 1 tablespoon of the melted butter for 1 tablespoon of softened cream cheese, if you prefer. The optional addition of meringue powder helps the icing set up and gives it that crunch we love on glazed donuts. To find meringue powder, click here.
I used a shallow jumbo muffin pan to make these cakes. The muffin cups are 4 inches wide and 1 inch deep. A hamburger bun pan for 4-inch buns or six 4-inch cake pans will also work. To find the pan I used, click here.
| Servings |
4-inch cakes
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- 1 cup (4 1/2 oz or 128g) all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
- 1 cup (7 oz or 200g) sugar
- 2/3 cup (4 5/8 oz or 145ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (8 1/4 oz or 234g) pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- pinch fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup (2 oz or 57g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz or 28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (2 1/8 oz or 60g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon meringue powder optional
- pinch fine sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) whole milk
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cakes
Cinnamon Swirl
Vanilla Bean Icing
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- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 6-serving shallow jumbo muffin pan with jumbo muffin liners.* (The liners will fit by pressing them in around the inside bottom edges.) The muffin pan I used has cups that are 4-inches across by 1-inch deep. A hamburger bun pan for 4-inch buns or six 4-inch cake pans will also work.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until well combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Mix in the pumpkin purée. Stir in the flour in two additions, just until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the muffin cups, evenly dividing the batter among the cups. Pipe the cinnamon swirl mixture in a spiral on the top of the batter of each one.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake part comes out clean, about 23-27 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the melted butter and whisk until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch wide round tip.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of milk until well combined. Whisk in more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Brush the icing on the cooled cakes with a small pastry brush or make the icing a little thinner and drizzle the icing on if you prefer.
*To find jumbo muffin liners, click here.
To find the baking pan I used, click here.
To find 4-inch cake pans, click here.
To find meringue powder click here.
Hi! Lovely recipe! I was wondering if I could make these in either a 9″ cake pan or loaf pan, since those are the pans I currently own. Any recommendations on whether this would work and how long I should bake it for in that case? Also if you had any advice on whether I would need to change the amount I’d make (like change the amount of servings), I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much!
Hi Taz! Making these cakes in the 4-inch round size makes them look like cinnamon rolls, which is why I chose that type of pan. However, if you want to try making the recipe in a pan that you currently own, I would suggest a round cake pan. I have previously tested this recipe in an 8-inch round cake pan and it worked. I used a wider piping tip for the cinnamon swirl mixture. I baked it at 325ºF for about 40 minutes. A 9-inch pan may have a shorter baking time.
Thank you so much for this incredible recipe! Loved it so much! Do you have any ideas how to veganize this? Replacing the eggs? I thought about increasing the amount of pumpkin and flour, but am afraid of it coming out gooey instead of the fluffy heavens this recipe left me with.
Hi Sally, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I haven’t tried this recipe without eggs, but I might try aquafaba or simply increase the baking powder.
Looks so good! Can’t wait to try. Can this recipe be made like cupcakes?
Hi Abby, yes you can use a standard muffin pan. Keep in mind that the baking time will be shorter for smaller cakes.
What about making mini bundt cakes with this recipe?
Hi Jackie, I haven’t tried this recipe with a mini bundt pan, but I’m guessing it will work. Keep in mind that the baking time may differ.
Hi! Would these work as cupcakes too?
Hi Chloe, yes they work as cupcakes. Keep in mind that the baking time will be shorter.