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    Home » Blog posts by Rosanna ETC » Desserts

    Spiced Pumpkin Yogurt Cake With Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting

    Published: Oct 19, 2022 · Modified: Nov 7, 2022 by Rosanna Stevens · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    Pumpkin yogurt cake subtly spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, baked to perfection, and slathered in a decadent mascarpone cream cheese frosting. The perfect cake recipe for Fall using fresh and seasonal Fall ingredients! I'm on a pumpkin recipe roll at the moment and this is the latest dish to come out of the kitchen (and it might be my favorite).

    Why this is the best recipe

    This spiced pumpkin yogurt cake with mascarpone cream cheese frosting has it all:

    • Moist yet fluffy sponge without heaviness
    • Subtle and fragrant spice
    • Rich and tangy frosting
    • Delicate sweetness

    Pumpkin puree is great for baking as it gives both moisture and sweetness, two essential elements. This means we can use slightly less sugar and fewer eggs, plus it has nutritional benefits being high in vitamins A, C, and E, and is also a great source of beta-carotene.

    A spiced pumpkin yogurt cake covered in mascarpone cream cheese frosting and dusted with cinnamon, on a bread board surrounded by ornamental pumpkins.

    Why bake cakes with yogurt?

    Yogurt is a real superhero ingredient for me. It adds moisture, creaminess, and vital acidity but doesn't make things rich or overly fattening. I often use yogurt in cakes, or in the place of heavy cream to thicken dishes like curries.

    Jump to:
    • Why this is the best recipe
    • Why bake cakes with yogurt?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • What to drink?
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Expert baking tip
    • FAQ
    • Spiced Pumpkin Yogurt Cake With Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to bake this spiced pumpkin yogurt cake.

    Ingredients for spiced pumpkin yogurt cake: self raising flour, golden sugar, eggs, yogurt, pumpkin puree, baking powder, nutmeg, butter and cinnamon.
    1. Pumpkin puree: You can use canned pumpkin puree, but make sure you buy pumpkin puree with no added ingredients like spices or sugar.
    2. Yogurt: Full-fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt works for this recipe. Do not use low-fat yogurt.
    3. Butter: Buy good quality butter with high-fat content.
    4. Brown sugar/golden caster sugar: Using brown sugar in this yogurt pumpkin cake gives it rich and caramel undertones.
    5. Eggs: Always use room temperature eggs in baking.
    6. Self-raising flour: In the US and some other countries, self-raising flour (or self-rising flour) is not as readily available. Here is a handy website with the differences between US and UK baking that shows how you can make substitutions.
    7. Baking powder/Baking soda: This helps to give our moist pumpkin loaf cake lift.
    8. Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a fragrant and earthy spice to this pumpkin yogurt cake.
    9. Ground nutmeg: Nutmeg is such a delicious Fall spice that adds to the pumpkin pie spice flavor in this delicious yogurt pumpkin loaf cake.

    Mascarpone cream cheese frosting

    1. Mascarpone cheese: Mascarpone is a soft Italian cheese with mild acidity and a slightly sweet flavor. Its smooth texture makes it ideal for cake frosting.
    2. Cream cheese: Cream cheese like Philadelphia is rich and tangy and works in both sweet and savory recipes. It makes incredibly decadent frosting!
    3. Icing sugar/powdered sugar: We use a touch of extra sugar in this cream cheese pumpkin cake frosting, but not too much as the tanginess is what makes it so special against the moist pumpkin sponge.

    Notes on ingredients

    • Always buy pumpkin puree with no additives - just pure pumpkin!
    • I use unsalted butter in all my recipes so I can always control the quality and quantity of salt.
    • I always recommend buying organic cream cheese as the water content is lower and you achieve a thicker, creamier frosting.

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/360 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Mix the pumpkin puree and yogurt together and set aside. 

    In a bowl or stand mixer, whisk the sugar and butter together until it is creamy and smooth. 

    Slowly add the eggs, and then stir in the pumpkin puree and yogurt mixture. 

    Pumpkin yogurt cake batter in a bowl.

    Combine the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder/soda together in a separate bowl, and then fold into the bowl of wet pumpkin yogurt cake batter. 

    Pour the batter into the greased loaf tin, smooth it down and into the edges with a spatula and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.

    A bowl of mascarpone cream cheese frosting next to a pumpkin loaf cake.

    Mascarpone cream cheese frosting

    Mix the mascarpone and cream cheese together until fully combined. 

    Sift the icing sugar into the mascarpone cream cheese frosting and stir it through with a spatula until silky smooth. 

    Slather the frosting all over the spiced pumped yogurt cake, dust with extra cinnamon, and serve.

    A bread board with pumpkin yogurt cake on it, and a plate with one slice.

    Hint: You can mix this pumpkin loaf cake batter by hand, the only tricky part is getting the butter and sugar creamed together properly. It is best to get the butter very soft if doing it by hand and using a spatula.

    What to drink?

    I love this pumpkin yogurt cake with a hot cup of coffee at tea time, but if serving it as a dessert how about an espresso martini?

    Variations

    Here are a few ways you can adapt this spiced pumpkin yogurt cake to suit you.

    • Nuts - add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the mascarpone cream cheese frosting to add some more texture and crunch.
    • Citrus - add a tablespoon of orange zest to the pumpkin yogurt cake batter to give more of a citrus tang.
    • Dairy-free - use oat yogurt in the pumpkin cake mix and cashew cream cheese (or even cashew ricotta) for the topping.
    • Lighter - leave off the mascarpone cream cheese frosting for a lighter cake.

    Love pumpkin recipes? Try these spiced pumpkin cheesecake macarons or my favorite pumpkin Nutella puff pastry croissants.

    Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • An electric whisk or stand mixer (I am obsessed with the new KitchenAid Blossom)
    • A 2lb loaf tin (900 gram)

    Storage

    Store any leftover spiced pumpkin yogurt cake in the fridge and consume it within 4-5 days.

    You can freeze this Greek yogurt cake but do so before adding the frosting. Wrap it in cling film and then foil, and consume within one month. Defrost thoroughly, add your frosting and serve!

    Expert baking tip

    If your cake batter splits when you add the pumpkin yogurt mixture, don't worry! It will stabilize again when you add the flour. Mix the flour in slowly bit by bit and it will all be fine.

    FAQ

    Does cream cheese frosting have to be refrigerated?

    Yes, homemade cream cheese frosting has to be kept in the fridge even though it has been stabilized with sugar. However, it can last for 2 hours out of the fridge so if you have leftovers, take them out a little while before serving so that your cake is served at room temperature and not cold!

    What does pumpkin cake taste like?

    It doesn't taste like a vegetable! And unlike banana bread, it doesn't have a strong pumpkin flavor either. This pumpkin yogurt cake is sweet, not savory and the pumpkin gives a very subtle flavor to it. I'd liken it more to a carrot cake than banana bread in terms of strength of flavor.

    Is pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?

    Technically speaking, pumpkins have seeds so they are a fruit. But these winter squashes from the Cucurbitaceae family are more commonly grouped in with vegetables and used in savory recipes like this creamy sage and pumpkin tagliatelle.

    Does cake batter need to be baked straight away?

    Once baking powder hits the wet mixture it will activate, so yes. You can prep all of your ingredients ahead of time and combine the dry ingredients, but do not mix dry and wet together until you are ready to bake.

    Spiced pumpkin yogurt cake with mascarpone cream cheese frosting

    Spiced Pumpkin Yogurt Cake With Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting

    Rosanna Stevens
    A deliciously moist and subtly spiced pumpkin loaf cake made with yogurt and topped with a decadent mascarpone cream cheese frosting.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    cooling and decorating time 1 hr
    Total Time 2 hrs
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 491 kcal

    Equipment

    • 3 Mixing bowls
    • 1 electric whisk or stand mixer
    • 1 loaf tin 2lb/900 gram in volume

    Ingredients
     
     

    Spiced pumpkin yogurt cake

    • 100 grams pumpkin puree
    • 150 grams yoghurt
    • 110 grams butter
    • 230 grams golden granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 285 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus extra for garnish
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

    Mascarpone cream cheese frosting

    • 200 grams mascarpone cheese
    • 150 grams cream cheese
    • 60 grams icing sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/360 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Mix the pumpkin puree and yogurt together and set aside.
    • In a bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until it is smooth and fluffy. 
    • Slowly add the eggs, and then the pumpkin puree and yogurt mixture. 
    • Combine the flour, cinnamon and baking powder together in a separate bowl, and then fold into the bowl of wet mixture. 
    • Pour the batter into the greased loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.

    Mascarpone cream cheese frosting

    • Mix the mascarpone and cream cheese together until fully combined.
    • Sift the icing sugar into the mascarpone cream cheese frosting and stir in through with a spatula until silky smooth.
    • Slather the frosting all over the spiced pumped yogurt cake, dust with extra cinnamon and serve.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 491kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 9gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 176mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 2gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 2658IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 166mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword mascarpone cream cheese frosting, pumpkin loaf cake, pumpkin yogurt cake, spiced pumpkin cheesecake macarons
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

    1. Holly says

      October 19, 2022 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Perfectly soft and delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!

      Reply
    2. Giangi Townsend says

      October 19, 2022 at 4:40 pm

      5 stars
      This cake looks amazing and I look forward to making it. I have all the ingredients at home, yes, even pumpkin puree.
      Thank you for sharing and cannot wait to bite into it.

      Reply
    3. Judith says

      October 19, 2022 at 6:40 pm

      5 stars
      A very moist and tasty cake with a delicious mascarpone topping. Easy to make too.

      Reply
    4. Amy says

      October 19, 2022 at 8:15 pm

      5 stars
      This is delicious. The perfect Fall weekend breakfast with a cup of coffee!

      Reply
    5. Jess says

      October 20, 2022 at 2:41 am

      5 stars
      So delicious and perfect for fall!

      Reply
    6. Katie says

      October 20, 2022 at 11:53 am

      5 stars
      This pumpkin yogurt cake is fantastic! So creamy and fluffy.

      Reply
      • Rosanna Stevens says

        October 20, 2022 at 3:41 pm

        Really glad you enjoyed it Katie, thanks for trying the recipe!

        Reply
    7. nancy says

      October 21, 2022 at 1:22 am

      5 stars
      wow that spiced yogurt cake was too good! perfect for this season

      Reply

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    Rosanna Stevens opening a bottle of champagne.

    Rosanna Stevens opening a bottle of champagne.

    I'm Rosanna, a trained chef, published writer and food and style fanatic. I believe in using food and drink to make every day an event with fresh and seasonal produce, wine pairings and a perfectly styled plate.

    I write for publications in the UK, USA and Central America on food, travel and the destinations I love and have also created several recipe ebooks and Stop The Scroll, a beginner's guide to food styling and photography. Thanks for being here!

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