Pumpkin Sheet Cake

HERO? Close-up of a frosted dessert bar topped with chopped nuts, placed on brown parchment paper. Another similar bar is partially visible above, and a cinnamon stick rests nearby.

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Pumpkin Sheet Cake is perfectly moist, spicy, and dare I say, PUMPKIN-Y. The pumpkin flavor really shines through! Bake in a half sheet pan for a thin (but still fluffy) cake that results in the exact cake-to-frosting ratio that I always aim for when I take a bite of cake. Top it with Maple Cream Cheese frosting and toasted pecans! A crowd pleaser that is perfect for Thanksgiving or any fall potluck!

Prep Time10

Cook Time17

Cooling time1

Total Time1 27

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 362kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Equipment

1 half sheet baking pan

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 cup butter
1 (15-ounce can) pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup light olive oil or any vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanillla
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cardamom optional

For the frosting:

1/2 cup butter softened
1 (8-ounce) package full fat cream cheese softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt use less if you are using table salt
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 cup pecans toasted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wet ingredients: In a large microwaveable bowl, add 1/2 cup butter. Melt in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds until melted.
Add a 15-ounce can pumpkin puree and 1/2 cup vegetable oil. (I like to use light olive oil, but any kind will do)
Add 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Add 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar.
Use a hand mixer (or transfer to a stand mixer) to beat for about 2 minutes, until all the ingredients are completely blended. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Dry ingredients: Add 1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour right on top of the pumpkin mixture, but don't stir. Make sure you spoon and level your flour! That means that you should use a spoon to add it to your measuring cup, then level off the top (don't scoop it).
Add all the other dry ingredients right on top of the flour: 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom.
Use your teaspoon to stir the dry ingredients together a bit. Make sure there are not big lumps, smooth it out a bit.
Use the beaters to beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, making sure to stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl about halfway through. Only beat until everything is blended. All the flour streaks should be incorporated, and there should be minimal lumps, but then stop right away, because over-beaten cake batter makes your cake tough.
Use your wrapper from the butter to grease a half sheet baking pan (11x17). Or use nonstick spray, or more butter, just make sure it's greased well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out.
Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the center with no wet batter on it. The edges of the cake should be pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Let the cake cool completely, you can stick it in the fridge or freezer if you want.
Meanwhile, make the frosting.* Add 1/2 cup softened butter and 8 ounces soft cream cheese to a large bowl. Beat until completely smooth. If there are any lumps, there will be lumps in your frosting, so get them all out.
Add 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating in between.
Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract. Beat until incorporated.
Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake.
Pecans: If you would like to add pecans on top, please, for the love, make sure you toast them first. Under-toasted nuts is one of life's greatest tragedies. Spread out 1 cup of nuts on a dry sheet pan and toast at 350 degrees F for about 5-7 minutes, stirring every two minutes, until they are fragrant.
Chop the pecans however small you like, then sprinkle over the frosting. Devour! Save the pecans for right before you are serving, or sprinkle over individual slices.
Store cake on the counter for up to two days, but I actually like to chill it in the fridge, because of the cream cheese in the frosting. Make sure it's well covered!

Notes

Nutrition facts include the frosting and pecans.

PAN SIZES:

If you are baking this in a 9×13 pan, bake for 23-25 minutes.
If you do a 10×15, bake for about 20 minutes.
If you bake it in a half sheet pan (11×17), bake for about 18-20 minutes.

Always rely on the toothpick test to make sure your cake is baked in the center!

*Frosting options: You can make lots of different frostings to go with this cake! I love it with classic Cream Cheese Frosting, but it's also amazing with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (A lighter-texture version, it's less heavy; more like whipped cream). You can add 1/2 teaspoon maple extract to EITHER of those recipes and it works great. (omit vanilla). I haven't tried it yet, but I also think this Maple Pecan Frosting would be amazing with this cake!

Freezing:

It's very easy to freeze pumpkin cake, and you can do it both unfrosted or frosted, as a whole cake or cut into pieces. To freeze a whole cake (with or without frosting), bake the cake and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Put the whole pan in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes to flash freeze, then pull it out and wrap very well in two layers of plastic wrap, and one final layer of aluminum foil.

The method for storing individual slices of cake is very similar. Place the cut pieces on a silpat or parchment paper lined sheet pan, then flash freeze them for about 30 minutes. Transfer the pieces to individual containers , or carefully wrap each piece in plastic wrap and add all the pieces to a freezer ziplock bag.

To use the frozen cake, leave it on the counter for a few hours (maybe more like 3-4 hours if it's a whole cake). If the cake is frosted, remove the layers of plastic wrap and carefully and lightly place one layer back over the top so the frosting doesn't stick to it once thawed.

Nutrition