This Pumpkin Praline Spice Cake is packed with warm spices, buttery pecans and cinnamon cream cheese frosting. An easy fall dessert!

Pumpkin Praline Spice Cake

This Pumpkin Praline Spice Cake is a soft, warmly spiced pumpkin cake baked over a buttery pecan praline layer and finished with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It’s rich, cozy, completely loaded with fall flavor—and yes, technically it’s a pumpkin upside-down cake, because that praline layer starts on the bottom and ends up on top.

This is one of those cakes that looks like you spent all day in the kitchen when you really started with a box of yellow cake mix.

I won’t tell if you won’t.

The pumpkin cake is soft and tender, the brown sugar pecan praline becomes slightly caramelized as it bakes, and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting brings just enough tang to balance all that sweetness.

It’s a pumpkin spice cake, a praline cake and an upside-down cake all having a very good day.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Praline Spice Cake

• Big pumpkin spice flavor: Pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and pumpkin pie spice give this cake plenty of warm fall flavor.
• Buttery pecan praline topping: Brown sugar, butter, cream and chopped pecans bake into a rich praline layer that becomes the top of the cake when you flip it over.
• Easy pumpkin cake: Starting with a yellow cake mix makes this much easier than making a cake completely from scratch.
• Cinnamon cream cheese frosting: The tangy frosting cuts through the sweetness of the praline and makes this cake ridiculously good.
• Perfect fall dessert: This is the kind of pumpkin dessert that belongs on a Thanksgiving table, at a fall gathering or sitting on your kitchen counter where you can mysteriously keep finding another slice.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Praline Spice Cake

For the Praline Layer

• Butter creates the rich, buttery base of the praline mixture.
• Heavy whipping cream gives the praline layer a smooth, rich texture.
• Brown sugar adds deep caramel-like sweetness.
• Pecans provide the crunch and classic praline flavor.

To Make the Pumpkin Spice Cake

• Yellow cake mix makes this an easy pumpkin cake while giving you a dependable, tender crumb.
• Canned pumpkin adds moisture, pumpkin flavor and color. Use plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
• Water, vegetable oil and eggs create a soft, moist cake.
• Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice build the warm spice flavor.
• Pumpkin pie spice gives the cake that familiar classic pumpkin spice flavor.

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Butter and cream cheese create the creamy base.
• Cinnamon and vanilla add warmth and depth.
• Powdered sugar sweetens and thickens the frosting.
• Milk or cream lets you adjust the consistency.
• Extra chopped pecans make an easy, pretty garnish.

How to Make Pumpkin Praline Spice Cake

• Prepare the cake pans. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. The parchment is extremely helpful when it comes time to turn the cakes out of the pans.
• Make the praline mixture. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, heavy whipping cream and brown sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and everything is combined.

• Divide the praline between the pans. Pour the mixture evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Sprinkle each pan with half of the chopped pecans. Do not stir the pecans into the mixture.

• Make the pumpkin cake batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, pumpkin, water, vegetable oil, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and pumpkin pie spice. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until everything is well combined.
• Add the batter. Carefully spoon or pour the cake batter evenly over the pecan praline mixture in each pan. Do not stir the layers together. The praline needs to stay on the bottom so it can become the topping.

• Bake. Bake the cakes at 325°F for 40–45 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched.
• Level the cakes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 5 minutes. The centers will usually puff up slightly. Carefully use a knife to level the tops while the cakes are still in the pans.
• Turn the cakes upside down. Place a cooling rack or heatproof plate over each cake pan and carefully invert the cakes. Remove the pans and allow the cakes to cool completely.
• Let the layers cool completely. Give the cake layers at least 1 hour to cool before frosting. Do not try to frost warm cake unless you enjoy watching cream cheese frosting melt down the sides of your cake.

How the Praline Layer Becomes the Topping

This is what makes this cake an upside-down cake.

The butter, cream, brown sugar and pecans are placed in the bottom of the cake pans first. The pumpkin spice cake batter goes directly on top.

As the cake bakes, the brown sugar mixture bubbles and caramelizes around the pecans.

Then you flip the finished cakes over.

Suddenly, that buttery pecan layer that started on the bottom is sitting beautifully on top.

It’s basically cake magic, except we’re going to call it chemistry so nobody gets too excited.

How to Keep the Praline from Sticking

This is probably the most important part of making this cake successfully.

• Use parchment paper on the bottoms of the cake pans. Do not skip this.
• Don’t let the cakes sit in the pans too long after baking. About 5 minutes is enough.
• Level the cakes while they’re still warm. Once you flip them over, you won’t be able to fix the domed bottoms.
• Invert the cakes carefully while the praline is still warm. As it cools, the brown sugar mixture can become sticky and adhere to the pan.
• If a little praline stays behind, don’t panic. Carefully scrape it out and patch it back onto the cake while it’s still soft.

How to Make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat the butter and cream cheese. Add the room-temperature butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
• Add the flavor. Mix in the cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
• Adjust the consistency. Add 1–2 tablespoons of milk or cream until the frosting reaches your preferred consistency.
• Add the powdered sugar. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar in batches, mixing well after each addition.
• Keep it cool. If your frosting becomes too soft, refrigerate it for a short time before assembling the cake.

How to Assemble Pumpkin Praline Cake

• Place the first layer. Put one cooled cake layer on your serving platter with the praline side facing up.

• Add frosting. Spread half of the cinnamon cream cheese frosting evenly over the top.
• Add the second layer. Carefully place the second cake layer on top, again with the praline side facing up.

• Finish the cake. Spread the remaining frosting over the top. You can frost the sides too, but leaving the sides more natural lets the praline layers show.
• Garnish. Sprinkle additional chopped pecans over the top.

What Makes This Pumpkin Spice Cake So Good?

It’s the combination of flavors.

The cake itself has plenty of pumpkin and warm spices, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and pumpkin pie spice.

Then you’ve got that buttery brown sugar pecan praline layer.

And finally, the cinnamon cream cheese frosting adds a little tang to balance the sweetness.

Every bite gives you soft pumpkin cake, crunchy pecans, caramelized brown sugar and creamy frosting.

That’s a lot going on for a cake that started with a box mix.

Pumpkin Cake with Pecans: Don’t Skip the Praline

If you love pumpkin cake with pecans, this is the version to make when you want something a little more special than a standard pumpkin loaf or layer cake.

The pecans aren’t simply mixed into the batter.

They’re baked directly into the brown sugar praline layer, which means they become part of the topping when the cake is inverted.

That gives them a buttery, caramelized flavor and plenty of crunch.

Tips No One Tells You About Pumpkin Praline Cake

• Parchment paper is your friend. It makes turning the cakes out of the pans dramatically easier.
• Don’t let the cake layers cool completely in the pans. The praline mixture can stick as it cools.
• Level the cakes before turning them out. The little domed center needs to be trimmed while the cake is still in the pan.
• Cool completely before frosting. Warm cake will melt your cream cheese frosting.
• Sift the powdered sugar. It takes an extra minute and saves you from fighting lumps later.
• Keep the frosting cool. If it becomes too soft while you’re working, refrigerate it for a bit.
• Don’t stress if the praline isn’t perfect. This cake is supposed to look homemade. A few pecans that wander slightly out of formation are not a crisis.

Can You Make Pumpkin Praline Spice Cake Ahead?

Yes. You can make the cake layers ahead of time and assemble the cake later.

Let the layers cool completely, wrap them well and refrigerate until you’re ready to frost and assemble.

Because the finished cake contains cream cheese frosting, store the assembled cake in the refrigerator.

How to Store Pumpkin Praline Spice Cake

• Refrigerate the finished cake: Keep the frosted cake covered and refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting.
• Let it soften before serving: Take the cake out of the refrigerator shortly before serving so the frosting can soften slightly.
• Store leftover cake covered: Properly covered leftovers will keep refrigerated for several days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a pumpkin upside-down cake?

• Yes. The pecan praline mixture goes into the bottom of the cake pans before the pumpkin cake batter. Once baked, the cakes are inverted so the praline layer becomes the topping.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin purée?

• No. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, which will change the flavor and texture of this recipe. Use plain canned pumpkin purée.

Can I make this pumpkin cake without the frosting?

• Absolutely. The praline topping is sweet, buttery and flavorful enough to stand on its own. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting simply takes the cake to another level.

Why did my praline stick to the pan?

• The most common culprit is letting the cake sit too long in the pan after baking. Use parchment paper and invert the cakes after about 5 minutes of cooling while the praline is still warm.

Why do I need to level the cake before turning it over?

• The center of the cake often rises into a small dome during baking. Since that bottom will become the base of the finished layer, leveling it while the cake is still in the pan keeps the finished cake from wobbling or splitting when you frost it.

Can I use a different cake mix?

• I recommend sticking with a standard yellow cake mix because that’s what this recipe was developed around. Different cake mixes can vary in size, sweetness and texture, which can affect the finished cake.

Does this cake need to be refrigerated?

• Yes, once it is frosted. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting means the finished cake should be stored covered in the refrigerator.

More easy pumpkin recipes

• Pumpkin Cobbler with Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce
• Easy Pumpkin Monkey Bread
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
• Pumpkin Ravioli in Apple Sage Butter Sauce

Enjoy ♥ Heather

Update Notes: This post was originally published in November of 2014 but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions and tips in September of 2023.