This Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake is one of those recipes that everyone should have in their repertoire. And I bet lots of you do have it in your repertoire. It’s been around forever in old recipe binders in kitchens across the country. My copy is handwritten on an old piece of paper and I genuinely have no idea where it came from. But it’s one of those go-to, everyone-loves-it, can’t-go-wrong recipes. If I have to take something to a family dinner, potluck or party during the months of October or November, this is what I make 90% of the time. So quick, so easy and so, so, so good.
Ingredients Needed
- Cake:
- pumpkin puree – not pie filling
- white sugar
- vegetable oil
- eggs – we always recommend large eggs for baking
- vanilla
- flour
- baking soda
- pumpkin pie spice
- salt
- nutmeg and cloves – optional
- Frosting:
- butter
- brown sugar
- cream or milk
- salt
- vanilla
- powdered sugar
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 13×17 (or similar) rimmed baking sheet.
- In one bowl, mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until combined.
- Pour into pan and bake 20–30 minutes, until toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- While cake bakes, heat butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt until simmering; cook 3 minutes.
- Let mixture cool 10 minutes, then beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Adjust frosting consistency as needed.
- Spread a light layer of frosting over slightly warm cake and sprinkle with cinnamon and a tiny bit of nutmeg.
Storage & Other Tips
- How to Serve: You can serve this with a knife and fork, or also, after it all sets up, these work great as finger food if you cut them smaller.
- Frosting Options: You can use the frosting in the recipe, or also try Cream Cheese Frosting or Brown Butter Frosting. All choices are amazing here!
- Cool Completely Before Storing: Allow the cake to cool fully before covering—this preserves moisture and prevents the frosting from sliding off.
- Refrigerate for Freshness: With a dairy-rich frosting, store the cake in an airtight container or tightly wrapped. It will stay fresh for 4–7 days.
- Room Temperature Short-Term: On the day of serving, you can leave the cake at room temperature under a cake dome or wrapped—thanks to the frosting that works like a seal. Eat within 2 days to prevent drying.
- Freeze for Long-Term Storage: Tightly wrap individual slices or the whole cake in multiple layers of plastic wrap and foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3–6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! A 13×17″ sheet pan works fine, and you can use an 8×8 or 9×13 pan if preferred—just adjust baking time. Sheet cakes are flexible and forgiving.
The cake is ready when a toothpick shows moist crumbs (not wet batter). Don’t wait for it to come out completely clean—keep it slightly underdone for the best softness .
Absolutely! Bake the cake ahead and frost when ready. Store at room temp for a day or refrigerate if it will sit longer. Creamy frostings usually refrigerate best.
You can make your own! Use 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp ginger, and a pinch of cloves or allspice.
Of course! Try this Cream Cheese Frosting or Brown Butter Frosting if you’d like to try a different option.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Equipment
- 13×17 baking sheet My original recipe specifies a 15 x 10-inch pan, but my pan is about 13 x 17, so anything in that arena should be good.
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree not pie filling
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- a few dashes nutmeg and cloves optional
Frosting
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons cream or milk
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Set pan aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, and beat until mixed.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes, until tested with toothpick and just moist crumbs attach.
- Right when cake comes out of oven, begin frosting.
- Heat butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt in a pot until melted and combined. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Let cool to luke warm (about 10 minutes) and then beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar to thicken, or more cream or milk (little by little) to thin. Use immediately as frosting will thicken upon standing.
- Frost when just barely warm and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon to garnish. I recommend keeping the frosting layer fairly light; it can get overwhelming quickly on a sheet cake.
Notes
- This cake is also fantastic with a classic Cream Cheese Frosting or our Brown Butter Frosting.
Questions & Reviews
Funny you posted this because we have made pumpkin sheet cake like four times in the last couple of weeks at our house. We love it! I actually had the idea this year to pair it with this maple buttercream from a pumpkin cookie recipe I had on file and it is divine! You need to try it Sarah!
ooh, I bet that’s delicious!
Can you double this for a thicker cake in a baking dish?
You could just bake the recipe as is, in a 9×13 pan. Since the pan is so much smaller, it will be twice as thick.
Would this recipe work for cupcakes? And this is a silly question but I have never made sheet cake before–is there a certain sheet cake pan sold for recipes like this? Thanks. Can’t wait to try it.
I’ve never made it into cupcakes but it would definitely work. It’s a good all around cake so it should be yummy. And you just need a regular rimmed baking sheet, like you would use for cookies. We have them linked in our favorites section, here!
So I just checked your link out because I am worried that my half sheet is too big (it’s like 13 x 18, or something), but your link says the pan is a half sheet size. Is that correct? Your recipe says 11 x 15. I want to make this for the fall festival on Saturday at my kids school. Your help is greatly appreciated! You ladies are awesome!
Hey Karen!
No, your pan is just fine. I just measured mine and that’s the same size mine is so you’re good!
Sarah, what frosting do you normally put on it the most?
The brown sugar caramel frosting!
I’m so glad you added this recipe. I figured I was the only person left in the world who doesn’t have it and it is in the top ten of my favorite desserts! Thank you!
I know this just posted, but it looked so good I made this tonight for a family night refreshments!! This is to DIE FOR!!! Sooo good!! I made the brown sugar frosting. I can’t tell you how awesome this turned out! I haven’t baked in a really long time, and this made me want to get back in the kitchen. This is going to be one to take to any fall event!! Thanks for posting. Love it!
SO happy to hear!
Even better for breakfast today, if that is possible. 😉
IF YOU WERE NOT USING PUMPKIN PIE SPICE, WHAT WOULD SPICES/AMOUNTS WOULD YOU USE?
You could google a homemade pumpkin pie spice. Honestly I’d just eyeball it and probably add about 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and cloves and 1/2 teaspoon ginger.
My mouth is watering already. Yum!
I’ve been making this recipe for years. It truly is the best sheet cake. I get rave reviews every time i bring to a dinner or something.
This looks so yummy! I need this in my life!
Paige