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Pumpkin Spice Mini Cake with Maple Browned Butter Frosting – perfectly sweet, extra pumpkiny cake with pumpkin pie spice and a touch more cinnamon. This simple one-bowl cake is made with spiced pumpkin butter for the richest fall flavor. Once baked and cooled, it’s frosted with whipped maple brown butter cream cheese frosting and salted caramel brulée. Sweet, spiced, and full of pumpkin flavor. This is the fall cake you need to make this season.
I’ve worked so hard on this cake for you all. Days of baking and frosting, carefully rationing my mini pumpkin sprinkles, and tweaking every detail until it was just right. Finally – it’s ready to share!
The funny thing is, I actually wanted to make this cake last year. I’ve had the idea for a cozy little pumpkin spice mini cake in my head for ages. And truly, it was worth every bit of extra effort. This cake is so, so good. It’s not your typical fluffy cake. It’s more pumpkin-forward, moist, and rich, with the best fall flavor in every bite.
And that maple brown butter cream cheese frosting? It’s dangerously delicious. The kind of frosting that makes you immediately reach for another slice. This one’s even a hit with my littlest brother, Oslo. It’s festive and fun for Halloween, and just right for Thanksgiving too!
Tomorrow is Oslo’s birthday, so this cozy little cake is pulling double duty as this year’s “website cake”. My mom’s baking him his favorite tomorrow, a classic vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. But I think we grown-ups should all celebrate with pumpkin cake. It’s festive, it’s fall, and honestly…exactly what this season calls for!
Here are the details
Ingredients
For The Cake
- pumpkin butter
- canned pumpkin
- brown sugar
- salted butter
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- flour
- pumpkin pie spice
- cinnamon
- baking powder
- baking soda
- hot espresso or hot water
For The Frosting
- salted butter
- cream cheese
- maple syrup
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- granulated sugar – for the caramel brulée
The Tools
Just a mixing bowl, a saucepan, and a square cake pan. You can use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. I use a hand mixer most often.
Steps
Step 1: Brown (or Melt) the Butter
First things first, brown the butter. You can just melt it, but I love the deeper, toasty flavor that browning adds. Add the butter to a skillet and melt it over medium heat. Let it bubble and foam, then cook until it turns a light golden brown and smells nutty, about 3–4 minutes.
Step 2: Make the Batter
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the browned butter, pumpkin butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of sea salt. Mix just until combined — don’t overmix.
Then beat in the hot espresso (or water). I highly recommend the espresso — it gives the cake a subtle depth and turns it into the coziest pumpkin spice latte cake!
Step 3: Bake the Cake
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until the center is just set. The cake should come out a deep orange color and make your kitchen smell like everyone’s favorite fall candle, Pumpkin Smash, of course!
This cake is incredibly moist and perfectly sweetened. The secret is truly in the pumpkin butter, it gives the best flavor and texture.
Step 4: Make the Frosting
Brown more butter, then pour it into a heatproof bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, add the cream cheese and beat together until light and creamy.
Beat in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla until the frosting is fluffy and whipped. I like to add a pinch of sea salt here too — it really brings out the flavors. The maple and browned butter make this frosting rich and flavorful, while the cream cheese keeps it light and perfectly balanced. And trust me, slathering on a little more frosting than you think you’ll need is the right move.
Step 5: the caramel brulée
This last step is optional but so good, the caramel brulée candy. It’s very easy to make and requires only two ingredients: sugar and flaky sea salt. Melt the granulated sugar on the stove until it turns deep caramel in color, then spread the caramel out over a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt and let sit for a few minutes. In almost no time at all, the caramel wil have hardened. It can then be easily smashed into small shards for sprinkling over your pumpkin cake. Again, be sure you’re being careful when handling this!
Frost the cake and then sprinkle with the caramel brulée candy.
For Halloween fun, I love using the cute pumpkin sprinkles and a dusting of edible gold for a little sparkle. Decorate however you like and make it festive.
The cake is adorable, smells incredible while baking, and tastes even better. It’s the ultimate cozy fall bake!
Looking for other pumpkin recipes? Here are a few ideas:
6 Ingredient Spiced Pumpkin Butter
Cream Cheese Swirled Brown Sugar Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Chai Pumpkin Cake with Maple Browned Butter Frosting
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Butter Bread
Lastly, if you make this Pumpkin Spice Mini Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pumpkin Spice Mini Cake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 498 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin butter
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons hot espresso or hot water
Frosting
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.2. In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin butter, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until fully combined. Beat in the hot espresso or hot water. 3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set. 4. To make the frosting: Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl, let cool until it's room temp.5. Add the cream cheese, and beat with the butter until very creamy. Beat in the powdered sugar and maple until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. If the frosting feels too loose, add powdered sugar to thicken.6. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Decorate as desired. Slice and enjoy!
This post was originally published on October 10, 2025
This came out Sooooo good!!! I loved it! Huge hit with the fam. Moist, flavorful and the perfect fall treat!
Of note- i didn’t have enough pumpkin butter since I doubled the recipe (large family). So I used about 1/4 cup less. I also added ginger and cloves because I love those spices. The cake falling issue – since I doubled the batch I used a 9×9 and a 9×13 pan. The 9×9 rose beautifully then fell a tiny bit as it cooled but I could have baked it longer. My 9×9 didn’t fall at all.
Frosting – I am not a big maple girl so I did 1 tbsp instead of 1/4 cup or maple syrup.
Overall adding this to my fall staples baking list. Soooo yummy!!! Teagan is a master ❤️
Hey Christa,
Amazing! Thank you so much for making this cake and sharing your notes on what worked well for you! So glad it was enjoyed!
Thank you , Tieghan, for this lovely recipe! So moist and full of fall flavor. As a person with celiac disease, I’m always looking for recipes I can adapt to gluten free and this did not disappoint😃. I used one cup of all purpose gf flour along with half cup of almond flour. I also opted to use just a quarter cup of honey instead of brown sugar and added a chopped apple. Super flavorful, with no need for icing! You are the best!!
Thanks so much, Kristen:) I am so glad to hear this cake was a hit, thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Happy Monday!
I made cupcakes instead of a cake and they were delicious! Very quick and easy recipe too.
Hey Gracie,
Wonderful! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a bunch for giving it a try!
Mine turned out sunken like yours did, disappointing!
I live at a similar elevation to you, and unfortunately, this cake did not turn out. It was sunken in the middle. I see you telling people that they don’t need to adjust for elevation, but that is very confusing to me. Elevation and sea level require different adjustments, so can you please explain why this recipe does not include that? I really want to make it for a dinner party then I am hosting, but I don’t want to waste ingredients.
Hey Elaine,
I am sorry you didn’t love the cake and you felt yours was sunken in. That really should not be the case! Have you checked to make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh? Often times expired ingredients can cause a lot of issues.
Did you use all room temperature ingredients as well? That can often be the issue.
Other than these 2 items, I don’t have any other suggestions. I really am so sorry. I wish I could be of more help to you!
Please let me know if you have other questions. I’m sorry the recipe doesn’t please you!!
I do hope you have a wonderful Sunday!
The icing was much too sweet; and the cake itself was bland and dry.
Hi Sasha,
Sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Thanks for giving it a try and your feedback!
Can you use Apple
Butter instead of pumpkin butter?
Hi Megan,
Sorry, I would not recommend apple butter for this recipe. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Since you said you tested this cake a lot, were you ever successful at getting it to not sink in the middle like it is in your stories? I live at high altitude and baking is always a struggle, do you have any tips for me?
Hi Yvonne,
Please follow the recipe as directed. There is no sinking of the cake. If you try it and have issues let us know!! I hope you love the recipe!
Came out dense and sunk in the middle. As others said, it was pretty bland.
This surprised me a bit. It turned out very dry. The frosting was much too sweet for us, too. Bummer. Doggy didn’t mind, but the humans will probably make a different recipe next time we bake.
Sorry to hear this, Julie. Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback.
This was absolutely delicious! My husband said it was one of the best things he has ever had!
Hi Christa,
Happy Sunday!🎃 Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl, so glad it turned out nicely for you!
I noticed on your stories today that it was pretty sunken in the middle. How do I avoid that? I know that you usually tell people to follow the recipe and they shouldn’t have those issues, but it looks like yours was more sun and falling rest and I’m really like wanting to be more full. Do you have any tips or suggestions?
Hi Julianne,
There is no sinking of the cake:) You can follow the recipe as directed. If you have any issues, let me know. I hope you love the recipe!
Hi Tieghan,
Thank you for the reply. I am a bit confused, though, because in your stories, you could clearly see that the cake was sunken in the middle. Could you give me some tips please instead of just saying it isn’t sunken, when we can see it is?
Hey Julianne, I don’t have any tips for you. I found the cake to be really great just as is. I don’t feel like mine comes out sunken. I find the recipe to be yummy no matter what. I’m sorry I can’t help you with what you are looking for. I have baked this cake many times and I really do love it as is.
If I knew what to suggest I would, but I don’t feel comfortable suggesting anything I have not tested personally.
Does that make sense? I’m truly sorry if you don’t enjoy the recipe as is! I do wish I could help. Apologies!
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday! Let me know if you have other questions!
How can you say there is no sinking in the middle when your readers and fans are specifically pointing out the sinking in your photos?!? We have eyes!! We see the sinking!
Hey Lee I’m sorry you feel the cake is sunken. Did you have a question?
Thanks!
Could you please tell me instructions for the caramel Brulé? You have granulated sugar above, but you don’t have how much you need or instructions on how to make it.
Hi Sara,
It’s very easy to make and requires only two ingredients: 3/4 cup sugar and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Melt the granulated sugar on the stove until it turns deep caramel in color, then spread the caramel out over a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt and let sit for a few minutes. In almost no time at all, the caramel wil have hardened. It can then be easily smashed into small shards for sprinkling over your pumpkin cake. Again, be sure you’re being careful when handling this!
Ack! I just made this cake and realized you don’t have proper instructions for the caramel brûlée topping! How much granulated is needed and what temp do I need to melt it? Is there any liquid or butter needed? Help! I need this cake for a dinner tonight and really want it to have the topping!
Hi Doris,
You can follow the instructions for the brulee from this recipe:
https://fett-weg.today/caramel-brulee-latte/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope this helps!
What cook time should I do for a 9×13 pan?
And just out of curiosity, what are those rotten tomato looking things in your photos?
Hi Lori,
You will need to increase the recipe if you plan to use a 9×13 pan. I would bake for 35-40 minutes. I hope you love this recipe!
Loved the mini cake, it was perfect I made it for 5 people and they love it. I chopped up walnuts and caramelized them and sprinkled on top for a little more crunch. I cooked the butter until it was more dark and it was so good. I will make it again!
Hi Janice,
Big thanks for making this and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
My family loved this cake. So moist, so delicious, melt in your mouth good and the icing is amazing, we could eat it by the spoonful and we did! I also made the caramelized topping, which gave it some texture, an extra something and looked so pretty on top. Another winner, thank you Tieghan!
Hey Katheryn,
Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you!
Thanks for giving it a try and your comment! Have a great week ahead!