Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Who can resist a sweet and spicy pumpkin sheet cake topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting? This moist and decadent cake is a must-bake for fall!

slice of pumpkin sheet cake topped with cream cheese frosting and candy pumpkin

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This pumpkin sheet cake recipe is fall at its finest!

First, we baked a thick sheet cake made with real pumpkin. This is not one of those thin sheet cakes baked in a jelly roll pan — this is a thick and fluffy cake that is just bursting with pumpkin flavor!

Next, we poured a warm cinnamon glaze on top. This absorbs into the cake so that every bite is super moist!

Topped with a delicious cinnamon cream cheese frosting, this is everything you want in a fall dessert!

This is a three-step process, but don’t be fooled — this is actually a pretty easy recipe. In fact, this cake comes together so quickly, and you can make the whole dish in just over an hour!

Talk about a perfect and easy fall recipe! It would be great for any holiday event!

Why is this the Best Pumpkin Cake Ever?

Ok, I know there are a lot of pumpkin cake recipes out there in internet-land. And a lot of them are really good. I mean, it’s hard to go wrong with pumpkin + cream cheese, amiright?

So what makes THIS pumpkin cake the BEST??

Here’s the deal. Most pumpkin cake recipes start with a pumpkin cake and are topped with cream cheese icing. It’s great. It’s delicious.

But this cake has one extra step.

And it is WORTH IT.

Before we frost our cake, we pour a warm cinnamon glaze on top. Because you add this glaze while the cake and the glaze are still warm, the cake soaks up this sweet cinnamon liquid.

It means your pumpkin cake is super-duper moist. And super-duper flavorful.

And it means that it is the BEST!!

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with cream cheese icing and a candy pumpkin on top

Ingredients & Supply List

For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe. Our disclosure policy is available here.

For the Cake

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Salt
  • Pumpkin puree — 15 oz can
  • White sugar
  • Canola oil
  • Large Eggs
  • Pure vanilla extract

For the Glaze

  • Sweet cream butter
  • Light brown sugar — packed
  • Heavy cream
  • Kosher salt
  • Vanilla extract
  • Instant coffee granules — crushed
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Powdered sugar

For the Frosting

  • Unsalted butter — softened
  • Cream cheese — room temperature
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • Powdered sugar

Kitchen Tools Used

Why is there Coffee in this Cake Recipe?

Even though we add a bit of coffee granules to this cake glaze, it won’t taste like coffee.

Think of coffee like a flavor enhancer – it helps to bring out all the other flavors of the recipe, like cinnamon. It’s also fabulous in chocolate cake recipes!

slice of pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing, full sheet cake in background

How to Make Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Making this cake is a 3-step process, but it’s not tricky at all! You can make the glaze and frosting while the cake bakes, to save time.

First, we will bake a moist pumpkin cake. Then we will top it with a warm cinnamon glaze, which will soak right into the cake so it absorbs all that flavor. Finally, we top it with a creamy, luscious cinnamon cream cheese icing.

Trust me, this is one recipe that is worth the effort!

1. Bake the Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or baking spray.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl.

Add pumpkin puree, sugar, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until smooth.

Slowly mix the dry ingredient into the pumpkin mixture – do not over-mix.

step by step photo collage showing how to mix pumpkin cake batter in bowl

Scoop the batter in the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula, if needed. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

2. Make the Glaze

Add butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt to a medium saucepan, bringing it to a boil, stirring as it heats. Once boiling, remove from heat and allow it to cool for 7-10 minutes.

Stir in vanilla, crushed coffee, and cinnamon. Pour this mixture into the washed bowl of your stand mixer and blend in the heavy cream.

Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, blending until smooth. Pour the glaze over still-warm cake.

3. Make the Frosting

Use your stand or hand mixer on low to medium speed to beat butter and cream cheese together until there are no lumps. Add vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add powdered sugar one-half cup at a time. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Make sure the cake is completely cool to room temperature, then spread cream cheese frosting evenly on top.

Garnish with ground cinnamon. You can also top each individual slice with pumpkin treats candy.

A slice of Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Can You Skip the Glaze?

Yes, yes you could. But I’m going to encourage you to make it!

First, you can’t frost the cake with the cream cheese icing until the cake is completely cool anyway. So why not go ahead and add the glaze?

Second, the cinnamon glaze adds so much flavor! And it make this cake extra moist! It’s really what sets this cake apart from other recipes!

If you really want to save a couple minutes or not dirty up a saucepan, you can omit the cinnamon glaze. But it’s soooo good y’all!

Do Cakes with Cream Cheese Icing Need to be Refrigerated?

Generally, you can leave a dessert with cream cheese icing out at room temperature for a couple hours. So you’re fine to have it out on your holiday party table.

After a few hours, any dessert topped with cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated, to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

To store, simply cover the cake pan with plastic wrap or foil and place in the refrigerator. If you have a can pan with a lid, that works well too!

More of our favorite pumpkin desserts:

Grab a free printable copy of our Pumpkin Sheet Cake Recipe:

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Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Pumpkin Sheet Cake recipe is the perfect fall cake to enjoy during Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Keyword: pumpkin, Pumpkin Sheet Cake, sheet cake
Servings: 16
Calories: 684kcal
Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Cost: $8

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can pumpkin puree 15 oz
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 4 eggs large
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Glaze

  • 1/2 cup sweet cream butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 4 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

For the Frosting

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter soft
  • 8 oz cream cheese room temp
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Ground cinnamon spice for garnish

Instructions

For the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and prep a large baking dish with non-stick spray.
  • Whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Combine pumpkin puree, sugar, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until smooth, using electric mixer.
  • Add the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
    step by step photo collage showing how to make pumpkin cake batter
  • Pour batter in your prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick, then remove from oven to cool.

For the Glaze

  • Stir together butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat and allow to cool 7-10 minutes.
  • Stir in the vanilla, crushed coffee, and cinnamon, then transfer to a mixing bowl and mix in the heavy cream with a mixer.
  • Add powdered sugar a half-cup at a time until smooth. Pour the still-warm glaze over the cake.

For the Frosting

  • Cream butter and cream cheese together until there are no lumps.
  • Blend in the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
  • Reduce mixer speed to low and and add powdered sugar one-half cup at a time.
  • Make sure cake is completely cooled to room temp, then frost with the cream cheese icing.
  • If desired, top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and candy pumpkins.

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary based on serving size and ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 684kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 402mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 81g | Vitamin A: 4797IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg

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pumpkin sheet cake slices with cream cheese icing and candy pumpkins

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Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
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