You know you have that can of pumpkin in your cupboard. But what are you going to make with it? This is the Best Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. It's an easy dessert recipe full of warm fall spices that you are going to crave all season long!
This easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe is a delicious seasonal cake to make for a crowd. While a Pumpkin Mug Cake is great when you want a personal treat, this one is great for family gatherings near the holidays.
With a simple cream cheese frosting, this sheet cake can be made ahead of whenever you want to serve it. This is one of my favorite easy dessert recipes for fall. And you'll love it too.
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Why This Recipe Works
This pumpkin sheet cake is moist and flavorful and just the sweet treat that I want when the weather starts to cool off.
Perfectly paired with an easy cream cheese frosting, this spiced cake is fuss-free and ready to share with others.
Using a 9 x 13 baking dish keeps things simple for non-skilled bakers (hello, me!).
Layering on the frosting means that no artistic, cake-decorating skill is required. Which is great, because I don't have that skill. Like, at all.
Typically I prefer to make desserts with cake mix, but it's really not too hard to start from scratch.
With the addition of spices and canned pumpkin puree, it takes a basic vanilla cake and makes it seasonal and great for any fall holiday gathering.
Want something even easier? Try my Pumpkin Dump Cake or a Pumpkin Milkshake!
If you're a big pumpkin fan, you also might love a Pumpkin Recipes e-cookbook! I worked on this with some blogging friends and it has 30 recipes with breakfast, drinks and desserts that are all pumpkin flavored! YUM!
Ingredient Notes
Scroll down to the end of the post for a printable recipe card with full measurements and more detailed instructions.
For Pumpkin Sheet Cake
You can use all-purpose flour if that's what you have, but cake flour will make things a bit more light and fluffy.
Baking powder is what makes the cake rise, so don't forget it!
Sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice mix, cinnamon, and nutmeg make this cake perfect for fall.
Pumpkin pie spice is a really great way to get a delicious mix of flavors without having to have all the individual spices on hand.
Adding extra cinnamon and nutmeg makes it even more flavorful. It allows us to amp up those flavors that instantly give the cake eater a warm and cozy fall feeling.
You can make your own pumpkin puree. But that is a whole process that would take a really long time. And since this recipe is so easy, I'd keep it as easy as possible with canned pumpkin.
Oil, eggs, and vanilla extract round out the wet ingredients.
For Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese and butter make this frosting rich and decadent, but I know cream cheese isn't for everyone.
Make sure you grab confectioners sugar for this recipe. Granulated sugar is too coarse.
Any milk will do. Although you will lose a little richness if you chose to use skim.
Vanilla extract is best when it's pure and not imitation.
The pinch of cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting is the perfect touch. Do not skip it!
How to make Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a baking pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour with the baking powder, sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice mix, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
- Pour half the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat with a hand mixer until incorporated.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients and beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and put in the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let it cool down completely before frosting.
How to Make the Frosting
Making the cream cheese frosting is crazy simple. So easy you can make it all the time and put it on everything. Because it's that good.
In a large bowl beat all the ingredients together on medium speed until light and creamy.
That's it. Easy.
Use an offset spatula to slather on the cream cheese goodness.
Tips and Tricks
- If you don't love how the frosting looks, you can always sprinkle something on top to distract. Use sprinkles, extra cinnamon, etc. It's a trick I've used many times...
- If you would rather use a basic vanilla buttercream, you absolutely can. This recipe is my FAVORITE!
- Make sure you use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has spices included and we want to add them ourselves for a better flavor.
- You can bake this easy pumpkin sheet cake recipe into cupcakes or even round cakes but the baking time will differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
This pumpkin cake is totally freezer-friendly! I love to freeze it unfrosted, wrapped in plastic wrap. When you're ready to serve, just thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator.
Take the cake out of the plastic wrap and move it to an airtight container before putting it in the fridge. Then frost and serve. It tastes just like it's been freshly baked!
You know how busy the holiday season can be. Being able to make this cake ahead makes it a dream dessert.
This delicious cake makes 12 really nice Sharon-sized servings. I like dessert, what can I say. This little cake server makes it so easy. You could get even more servings if you cut them smaller.
You can make a super easy, 2-ingredient pumpkin sheet cake by using a can of pumpkin and a boxed spice cake mix! Mix, bake and frost. It's a great option if you are pressed for time or just really don't want to bake from scratch. (Me, pretty much all the time).
Because of the sweet cream cheese frosting on top, you don't need any other toppings.
Serve it with sparkling wine or a cup of coffee and enjoy a sweet treat at home with your friends and family.
This would be a great Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving dessert idea, especially if you are attending a potluck-style event.
A Pumpkin Sheet Cake with cream cheese frosting is a great fall dessert recipe to have in your recipe book. Because, yum.
More pumpkin recipes to check out
Even if, like me, you don't consider yourself a huge pumpkin fan, these easy recipes have plenty of other decadent flavors that you'll LOVE.
- Fireball Pumpkin Pie Recipe: You know I love my easy cocktails, and this update on the classic pumpkin pie recipe adds a boozy touch with cinnamon whiskey.
- Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie Milkshake: If you live on the west coast where fall is typically warm, this Pumpkin Pie Milkshake is for you! It has that seasonal flavor but will cool you down.
- Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe: This Pumpkin Dump Cake is so quick and easy and is a traditional dump cake with no mixing required. So tasty!
- This Pumpkin Trifle uses store-bought pumpkin muffins to keep things super simple. But you could use this sheet cake too!
- If drinking pumpkin is more your style, try a Pumpkin Martini! It needs just a spoonful of pumpkin plus some vodka and cream. You'll love it!
Best Pumpkin Sheet Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
For the pumpkin cake
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- About 1 cup of cream cheese frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 2 ½ cups confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a baking pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour with the baking powder, sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice mix, cinnamon and nutmeg then set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
- Pour half the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients and beat with a hand mixer on high speed for 3 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and put in the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool down completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, bowl beat all the ingredients together on medium speed until light and creamy.
Notes
- Make sure you use plain canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
- If you don't love how the frosting looks, you can always sprinkle something on top to distract. Use sprinkles, extra cinnamon, etc. It's a trick I've used many times...
- If you would rather use a basic vanilla buttercream, you absolutely can. This recipe is my FAVORITE!
- Make sure you use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has spices included and we want to add them ourselves for a better flavor.
- You can bake this cake into cupcakes or even round cakes but the baking time will differ.
- You can make this cake ahead and freeze. Wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic wrap and freeze. To thaw, remove the plastic and thaw in the fridge in an air-tight container overnight. Then frost and serve.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on September 28, 2020, and has now been updated with new images, tips, tricks, and more.
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