Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Caramel Frosting
on Sep 06, 2016, Updated Aug 22, 2024
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The thing that makes it easier to see Summer fade away is that fall is upon us! That means wonderful things like pumpkin (alllll the pumpkin), sweaters, hay rides, soup and pumpkin patches are just around the corner. In celebration of fall, I’m here to share an Easy Pumpkin Sheet Cake with a rich caramel icing that will feed and please a crowd!
I’m a big fan of sheet cakes because they are easy to make, they bake quickly, they make a bunch (perfect for our big family dinners, parties, and church functions), and because the cake is thin, you can eat a big old square of it and not even feel bad about it.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
With the heat of the summer behind us, we tend to have lots of parties and evening outside. We might roast hot dogs or just spend the evening on the porch swing; but either way, gatherings and groups often mean food! This simple pumpkin sheet cake with caramel frosting is one of my favorite recipes to make in the fall because it’s perfect for a party or an evening around the fire.
The pumpkin cake is moist with just the right amount of spice. This fuss-free cake is just the kind of dessert a fall with friends is made of. It is also really simple to make, even if you aren’t much of a baker.
Can we have a moment of silence for that caramel frosting? So. GOOD! I love caramel, so the frosting was awesome. The caramel frosting is extra-rich, so the thin layer on top is just the right amount.
Ingredients
- Flour: just classic all-purpose flour here, no cake flour needed
- Cinnamon, ground allspice, ground ginger: these spices are used to make that classic warm spice mix that makes pumpkin desserts shine; it’s a great mix of spices and you’ll love them
- Sugar: to sweeten up our cake
- Vegetable oil: this is one of the wet ingredients and helps everything come together
- Eggs: these help to bind the cake together, makes the cake texture light and springy, and help the cake to rise
- Pumpkin puree: the star of the show which adds moisture, color, and flavor to the cake
Recipe Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a jelly roll pan well.
- In a medium bowl add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, salt, all spice, and ginger. Use a whisk to combine well and set aside.
- Mix up your wet ingredients and the stir them into the dry ingredients.
- Give the batter a stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it’s full combined and then add the batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake, ice, cool, and then eat!
- Full instructions in the recipe card below!
Frequently Asked Questions
This sheet cake will feed about 30 people. Perfect for entertaining.
The main difference between a sheet cake and a regular cake is the pan that it is cooked in. A sheet cake is made in a sheet pan that is rectangular and shallow. A regular cake can be made in a a variety of pans like a 9×13 or a round cake pan.
You sure can! If you make it the day before, I suggest covering it in foil or covering it with a lid and then putting it in the refrigerator. This will ensure that the cake doesn’t dry out.
Don’t dump all the frosting in one spot. The cake has a pretty thin layer so pour the frosting out evenly over the cake and use an offset spatula to finish spreading it out. Don’t try to work frosting over too much or worry about getting it perfectly smooth. As the frosting cools it will start to set and if you spread it too much it will make it look yucky and will start to pull the cake up. A little imperfection here is going to be better than trying to mess with it too much. Add a few fall sprinkles if you don’t like how the icing turned out, they’ll distract from it just fine.
More Recipes
- Grandma Shoaf’s Quick and Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Quick and Easy Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
- Extra Thick Pumpkin Cake
If you’ve tried this Pumpkin Sheet Cake or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 2/3 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 15- ounce can pumpkin puree
Caramel Frosting
- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, (1 stick)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a jelly roll pan well (18 by 13 inch baking pan) and set aside.
- In a medium bowl add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, salt, all spice, and ginger. Use a whisk to combine well and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer add your sugar, oil, and eggs and beat until well combined and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until combined, about a minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until the mixture just starts to come together (don’t over mix).
- Give the batter a stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it’s full combined and then add the batter to the prepared pan. Use the spatula to spread it out evenly in the pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the cake springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cook before making the icing.
For the Icing:
- Bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is foamy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla until the frosting is smooth.
- Spread the warm frosting evenly over the top of the cool cake and then let it set, about 25 minutes, before serving.
Notes
- This recipes is from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book page 250.
- Don’t dump all the frosting in one spot. The cake has a pretty thin layer so pour the frosting out evenly over the cake and use an offset spatula to finish spreading it out. Don’t try to work frosting over too much or worry about getting it perfectly smooth. As the frosting cools it will start to set and if you spread it too much it will make it look chunky and will start to pull the cake up. A little imperfection here is going to be better than trying to mess with it too much. If it really bothers you, a few cute fall sprinkles on top fill hide most any icing imperfections.
Nutrition
Both the cake recipe and the frosting recipe come from the America’s Test Kitchen’s Family Baking Book, pages 250 and 251. I love this book and highly recommend it for all home cooks.
I am looking forward to you making this Pumpkin Sheet Cake with the most delicious caramel icing. It is light, fluffy, moist and tasty. It is the best dessert for the Fall season!
I love this pumpkin cake. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser. I double the frosting recipe to make for a richer cake. I also let the butter and brown sugar sit on low for 10 min to dissolve the brown sugar. It works great. I also sift the powdered sugar to prevent lumps.
This is the only pumpkin cake I make anymore. I look forward to it every year. It’s. So. Good!
Could this recipe be used for cupcakes? And would the baking time change?
Yes, I think it would work great. Most cupcakes take 12-18 minutes to bake and I bet these would be close to normal. I’d start them cooking and at 13 or 14 minutes I’d check on them. I like to touch the cupcake lightly. If the indent remains, it needs to cook longer. If it springs back, it’s done. Just add a few minutes at a time, checking after each time to get the best time for these.
This is a superb recipe in every way! lThe cake is fluffy and tender and the icing is “gilding the lilly.” I also tried it substituting 1/4 c of the sugar with 1/4 c of molasses to give a ‘gingerbread” version, and that was wonderful too.
Thanks for the recipe.
Yum!! Loving all the Pumpkin Week recipes!! Thanks for all the work you put in and for sharing!! Love reading all your good ideas and what’s happening in your world! I’ve been to Utah but really need to hit up the Zion area!
You’re so welcome! And come, come, come! I’ll feed you dinner and if you come in two years you can stay in my basement 🙂