This easy Pumpkin Sheet Cake is coated with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting that melts into the cake as it cools. A tender pumpkin cake recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes and perfect for fall baking!
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Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Sheet Cake Recipe
This irresistibly moist yet fluffy pumpkin sheet cake quite literally “takes the cake” as my favorite pumpkin cake recipe! Just when I thought nothing could rival the marvelous flavor and texture of this pumpkin cake, I fell head-over-apron for this quick and easy sheet cake recipe.
- Quick and easy. Like most sheet pan recipes, this one comes together in just a few simple steps. Best of all, it’s ready in 30 minutes or less!
- Perfect for fall. Inspired by classic Texas sheet cake, this cake is made in a sheet pan and calls for savory pumpkin in place of chocolate cake and a rich, cinnamon cream cheese frosting in lieu of chocolate icing. The combination of the two fills every bite of this cake with warm fall flavors.
- Great for sharing. Like my White Texas Almond Sheet Cake and Chocolate and Peanut Butter Sheet Cake, this pumpkin sheet cake can serve a large number of friends and family, making it perfect for parties, potlucks, and sharing! You could even serve it at Thanksgiving.
What You’ll Need
This cake comes together with a list of common ingredients (many overlap between the cake and the frosting!). Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Pumpkin Puree: Either canned or freshly pureed pumpkin. Along with pumpkin flavor, the puree gives the cake crumb a rich, moist texture.
- Flour: All-purpose flour (as opposed to cake flour) works best with a thick and wet batter like this one.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use premixed Pumpkin Pie Spice from your local supermarket, or make your own using the instructions in the “Tips” section!
- Butter: For the cake and for the frosting. Use unsalted, melted butter for the batter, and softened butter for the frosting.
- Milk: Whole milk does the trick, or use a dairy-free alternative. Whichever milk you choose for the cake, you’ll need it for the frosting as well!
- Sugar: Keep the batter simple with granulated sugar, or use brown sugar for some extra depth of flavor!
- Eggs: You’ll need 2 large eggs for this recipe.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract almost always offers the best flavor when baking. You’ll also need vanilla for the sweet, flavorful cinnamon frosting!
- Cream Cheese: For the cream cheese frosting. The perfect pairing for pumpkin spice!
- Cinnamon: The star ingredient in the frosting, alongside cream cheese; use fresh or pre-ground cinnamon for a hit of warmth and spice.
- Powdered Sugar: Confectioners’ sugar gives the frosting an irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
How to Make a Pumpkin Sheet Cake
This single-layer cake is incredibly easy to make — no assembly required! Here’s how you do it:
- Prep the Sheet Pan: While your oven is preheating, grease a large sheet pan with a light coating of butter or cooking spray. I prefer to use a 13 x 18 inch jelly roll pan (also known as a baker’s half-sheet) for a thin, moist cake with the perfect frosting-to-cake ratio! You can use a 9 x 13 inch pan in a pinch, bearing in mind that the cake’s cooking time will increase to about 35 minutes.
- Cream the Butter: In the microwave, melt the butter in short 10-15 second bursts. Whisk the melted butter together with the milk, pumpkin puree and sugar. In the same bowl, add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt to the bowl with the batter. Combine these gradually and make sure everything is fully incorporated.
- Bake: Spread the batter evenly into your prepared jelly roll pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. This leaves plenty of time to whisk together the cream cheese frosting!
- Make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until it makes a smooth mixture. Slowly beat in the milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon until everything is combined. Finally, whisk in the powdered sugar. Turn the beater up to high and mix until the frosting is light and smooth!
- Frost the Cake. Remove the sheet cake from the oven and spread the cinnamon frosting over the top while the cake is still warm. The frosting will melt into the cake as it cools – giving the cake the most finger-licking, crumbly soft taste and texture!
Tips for Success
- Don’t overbake: Since this sheet pan is relatively thin, it needs to bake for just 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it to prevent it from overbaking and drying out!
- Keep refrigerated: Refrigerate the cake until you’re ready to serve. Before slicing, allow the cake to warm up on the counter for 10 minutes or so.
- Make your own pumpkin pie spice: You can buy a premixed spice, or easily make your own! Combine 1 part each of the ground spices that make up the store bought version: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
- Transport in the pan: Sheet cake travels wonderfully, which is just one more reason why this is the ideal cake for gatherings. You can leave the cake in the sheet pan for transporting and serving!
How to Store
Leftover pumpkin sheet cake can be stored in an airtight container (or in the sheet pan covered with plastic) for 2-3 days.
More Pumpkin Desserts
Yield: 15 servings
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cinnamon Frosting
This irresistible homemade Pumpkin Sheet Cake topped with tangy Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is bursting with flavor and easy to make for fall!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Sheet Cake:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, canned plain pumpkin
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 ½ cups powdered sugar
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 18 jelly roll pan with butter or spray with Baker’s Joy.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, pumpkin and sugar. Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract. Then whisk in flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
- Pour batter into prepared jelly roll pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Frosting:
- In a large bowl cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon on low speed until combined.
- Then whisk in powered sugar – beating on high until frosting is smooth. Spread frosting on top of cake.
- Refrigerate cake until ready to serve, and let cake rest on counter for 10 minutes before serving to let it warm up just a little.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 585kcal, Carbohydrates: 86g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 220mg, Potassium: 106mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 72g, Vitamin A: 2138IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 1mg
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Excellent cake perfect for fall! I have made it 5 times in so many weeks because everyone keeps asking for it and a birthday cake too! only thing I did different is less cinnamon in icing about 3/4tsp and only 1 box of powdered sugar!! Make this cake you will love it!
I was wanting to know if I could make the frosting without the cream cheese and just use butter would I make it the same way?
Yes, you can use all butter instead and make a butter cream!
I have been making the cake for a few years and it’s always great! Thanks for sharing this one.
Has anyone tried making it into a pumpkin roll cake? Just wondering it this recipe would make a good one.
Thanks!
Yvonne
Hmm. I haven’t but I think it would work!
However, I just posted a recipe a couple of weeks ago for a Pumpkin Roll Cake with Toffee Filling! It’s delicious and I can guarantee it works as a roll cake!
https://thenovicechefblog.com/pumpkin-roll-with-toffee-filling/
Hope this helps! Happy baking!
5 stars
Just made your cake! Waiting for someone to come home
And try it!
Like. The. Cake. It. On. There
Just finished making this cake for a church dinner tonight. It was easy to make and the frosting is delicious. I can’t wait to try it tonight.
I absolutely love this recipe. I’m wondering, could this be made using mini bundt pans? I’m looking at making 3″ cakes.
I entered this cake at my grandsons parish picnic dessert contest and won $50!! We heard the judges say this was the best cake EVER!! It is truly a crowd pleaser!! Can’t go wrong making this cake!!
Do you put the frosting on after the cake is cooled or hot out of the oven.
That’s a personal choice! If you are going to serve the cake fresh, I will spread the cream cheese frosting on while the cake is still warm. However if you are making the cake to serve later, I would allow the cake to cool before frosting. Hope this helps!
Just made this recipe and my kids won’t stop eating it! SO good!
I love this recipe for pumpkin sheet cake so much – it’s EASY and YUMMY.
Couldn’t have been easier. I had my daughter make it. Now I’m on my third slice. 😉
In the video, it looked like you put in two teaspoons of vanilla, the recipe said one teaspoon of vanilla. Confused.
Can I put the mix in a cupcake pan?