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pumpkin sheet cake

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

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  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 12-24 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Pumpkin sheet cake is the perfect fall dessert for serving on Thanksgiving or anytime this autumn. It’s made in a sheet pan to serve a lot of people!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spoon & leveled
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cup cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 8 oz. brick cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a rimmed half-sheet pan (18X13) with nonstick cooking spray. 
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, with a handheld or stand mixer beat the butter, cane sugar, and brown sugar on high speed until combined and large crumbs form, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula.
  4. Add pumpkin puree, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the greased sheet pan, spreading out the batter evenly with a spatula. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

Brown Butter Cream  Cheese Frosting

  1. In a light-colored pan, melt butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once butter is melted it will begin to foam. After about 5 minutes the butter will begin to brown. There should be lightly brown specks on the bottom of the pan and it will have an intense nutty smell. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and transfer the brown butter into a bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.
  2. In the meantime, beat the cream cheese with a handheld or stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
  3. Add half of the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Then add the remaining confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, salt, and brown butter. Beat on low for 30 seconds and then switch to high speed and beat until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk. If the frosting is too sweet, add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  4. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Start by making one thin layer over the cake to trap all the crumbs, then continue spreading the rest of the frosting over the top. Slice and serve.

Notes

  • Sour Cream: Plain Greek yogurt can be used instead of sour cream.
  • Pan Size: This cake is made in a half-sheet pan (18X13). It can also be made in a jelly roll pan (15X10), which will yield a thicker cake but fewer or smaller servings. 
  • More Spice: Feel free to add more spice to the cake as it’s not overly spiced. Pumpkin spice or more cinnamon.
  • Brown Butter: Keep an eye on the butter as it can go quickly from brown to burned butter.
  • To Make Ahead: Bake the cake as directed and make the frosting. Cool the cake completely in the pan at room temperature, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cover the frosting and refrigerate for up to 5 days. When ready to assemble, take the frosting out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature until softened, about 1 hour. Spread the frosting over cake, slice, and serve. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 square
  • Calories: 299
  • Sugar: 34.5 g
  • Sodium: 170.8 mg
  • Fat: 12.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 44.3 g
  • Protein: 3.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 48.7 mg