Pumpkin Spice Tea Cake

Cosy up with this light and fluffy pumpkin spice tea cake this fall! It’s brushed with melted butter and topped with a cinnamon and sugar mix to give it even more flavour, and add to the pumpkin spice taste. 

My favourite way to enjoy this pumpkin tea cake is to have one (or two) slices with a cup of tea for afternoon tea. If it lasts longer than a few days, try warming it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds for that fresh-out-of-the-oven feel. 

Why you’ll love this pumpkin cake?

• Tea cakes have a perfectly light and fluffy texture, so that pretty much means you can eat more slices. 
• It’s a snack cake so minimal ingredients are needed and it makes it that much easier to store, if there are any leftovers at all. 
• The melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture on top truly makes this pumpkin spice tea cake what it is. It creates a delicious topping and further enhances the pumpkin spice flavours, you can not skip adding this! 

How to make pumpkin spice tea cake

1. Ensure you bring your egg and butter to room temperature first.
2. To help achieve the deliciously light cake crumb, we beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on high for 5 minutes. I like to stop my stand mixer half way through and scrape the sides. 
3. Measure out your dry ingredients so you can move quickly in the final steps.
4. Add the egg to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing until it’s combined. Then you can add the pumpkin puree and beat on low until it is fully incorporated. 
5. Add your prepared dry ingredients, and mix on low until the flour is JUST incorporated. It is OK to still see some white spots in the batter as you don’t want to overmix it at this point. 
6. Pour in the milk while the mixer is on low and mix until combined. I like to finish off the mixing by hand to ensure that everything is evenly distributed. 
7. Pour the cake batter into your prepared cake pan and bake in a pre-heated oven for 28-30 minutes. 
8. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, this will make removing it a lot easier as the sides should naturally pull away from the pan. 
9. Continue cooling the cake on a cooling rack while you prepare the topping.
10. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a small dish, and combine 1 ½ tbsp sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon in a separate bowl. Brush (or you can pour) the melted butter on top of the pumpkin spice tea cake and quickly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix on after so it will mostly stick to the butter. 
11. Serve immediately! This cake is definitely best when eaten warm. See the below storage tips for reheating instructions as well. 

How do I know when the cake is done?

There are a few ways to test if the cake is done, one is a simple jiggle test. If the middle jiggles it is undercooked. 

Another way is by touch. When the cake is cooked, it should spring back when you poke it with your finger. If it leaves an indent it is likely undercooked. I always check the middle of the cake first as the edges tend to cook faster.

Finally, and this is my foolproof way – using a toothpick or wooden skewer. Poke the toothpick into the centre of the cake, it should come out clean. If there is any batter on the skewer, place the cake back in the oven for 3 more minutes before checking again. 

Storage Tips

To keep your pumpkin spice cake fresh for longer, you should store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for up to 5 days but is best enjoyed within 3. I like to slightly warm my slice in the microwave after the first day so it tastes like it cake straight from the oven!