Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

There is absolutely nothing fussy about this dessert. With a couple of bowls, a whisk and minimal effort, you can produce a crowd-pleasing, tender-crumbed cake that’s packed with fall flavor. Once the cake is cool, you can put it back in the pan for easy transport. Or, for a slightly elevated presentation, slice off the domed top and invert the cake onto a serving platter or wooden board. In either case, simply slather the top with the billowy, cardamom-scented frosting. Heavy cream is whipped with mascarpone cheese to create a stable topping that won’t get runny on the buffet table. The unfrosted cake can be made ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic, and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes one 9-inch x 13-inch cake

FOR THE CAKE:
1 tablespoon softened butter, for the pan
3½ cups (420 grams) flour, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (213 grams) light brown sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (148 grams) neutral oil such as sunflower, grapeseed or safflower
¾ cup (170 grams) whole milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 can (425 grams) pumpkin purée

FOR THE FROSTING:
1 cup (227 grams) heavy cream
1 cup (227 grams) mascarpone cheese
⅓ cup (38 grams) confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch cake pan with the softened butter and dust with flour.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom.

In a large bowl, whisk together both sugars with the eggs until lightened. Add the oil, milk, vanilla and pumpkin purée and whisk until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the top feels springy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream until slightly thickened and frothy. Add the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar and cardamom and beat until soft peaks just begin to form.

You can either place the cooled cake back in the pan for easy transport, or slice off the domed portion and invert cake onto a large board or serving platter. Swirl the mascarpone frosting over top and serve.

This recipe appeared in the Fall 2023 issue as part of a larger story on Fall Potlucks.