Spiced Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin cake brings the warm spice mood of pumpkin pie to a dessert that cuts easily into squares. Chef Nico’s oil-based cake bakes in a 9-by-13-inch pan and finishes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
This is a comfortable choice for a fall gathering when you want dessert ready before the guests arrive. The batter is meant to be loose; follow the recipe rather than adding extra flour, and let the cake cool fully before frosting.
Pumpkin Cake
One 9×13 sheet cake, warmly spiced and oil-based, finished with cream cheese frosting and cut into squares.
- Total Time0 hours
- YieldOne 9x13 sheet cake 1x
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, fresh grated preferred
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup neutral vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 15 oz pumpkin puree, one can, not pie filling
- 2 tsp vanilla
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 12 oz full fat cream cheese, softened
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- PREP Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13 pan and line the bottom with parchment.
- DRY Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- WET In a large bowl, whisk the oil, both sugars, and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and vanilla.
- COMBINE Add the dry ingredients and stir just until no flour is visible. The batter will be loose. That is correct.
- BAKE Pour into the pan and smooth the top. Bake 32 to 38 minutes, until the center springs back and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- FROST Beat the cream cheese and butter until fully smooth with no lumps. Add the powdered sugar in batches on low, then the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and beat until light. Spread over the cooled cake in the pan and cut into squares.
Notes
Cooling / resting: Cool completely in the pan before frosting
SAFETY NOTES
– This recipe contains eggs and dairy. Note both when serving guests with allergies.
– Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced and will throw the recipe.
– Bake until the center springs back and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
– Refrigerate the frosted cake, as cream cheese frosting is dairy-based and should not be held at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
– Frosted, the cake keeps 5 days refrigerated. Unfrosted, it freezes well for a month wrapped tight.
– Wash hands and tools after handling raw eggs, and use eggs at room temperature without leaving them out longer than 2 hours.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes active prep
- Cook Time: 32 to 38 minutes, or 28 to 32 minutes for 9-inch rounds
- Category: Desserts
Chef Nico's Notes
Don’t Be Shy with the Spices!
We’re using the same warm spices you’d find in pumpkin pie, but going a little heavier on the cinnamon and ginger. Cake can handle a bit more spice than a delicate custard, so don’t hold back!
Keep That Pumpkin Moisture!
Unlike my pumpkin pie recipe, there’s no need to cook down the pumpkin puree first. All that natural moisture is exactly what keeps this cake soft, tender, and delicious.
Sheet Cake or Layer Cake? Your Call!
I love keeping things simple by frosting the cake right in the 9×13 pan and cutting it into generous squares. But if you’re looking for something a little fancier, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake for 28–32 minutes. Same great cake, just dressed up for the occasion.
A Little Brown Butter Goes a Long Way.
Want to take that cream cheese frosting up a notch? Brown the butter first! It adds a wonderful nutty, toasted flavor that pairs beautifully with pumpkin and warm spices. Just let the browned butter cool until it’s soft again before mixing up your frosting.
Make It Ahead!
This is a great dessert to prepare ahead of time. Once frosted, it’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you’re planning further ahead, wrap the unfrosted cake tightly and freeze it for up to a month. Just thaw, frost, and enjoy!
Trust the Batter.
If your batter looks a little thinner than you’re used to, don’t worry! That’s exactly how it should be. Resist the urge to add extra flour. That loose batter is part of what gives this pumpkin cake its wonderfully moist, tender texture.
Ready, Set, Cook
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