This soft and fluffy Pumpkin Sheet Cake Recipe is topped with a luscious spiced cream cheese frosting and is perfect for sharing!
I have a serious obsession with sheet cakes. I love the ratio of cake to frosting in a sheet cake, it just seems like the perfect balance to me.
It’s finally pumpkin season and I’m so excited to share this yummy Pumpkin Sheet Cake recipe!
Pumpkin Sheet Cake Recipe
The warm pumpkin pie spices really enhance the flavor of the cake and cream cheese frosting. I took my Vanilla Raspberry Sheet Cake recipe and tweaked it to add pumpkin and then married it with the frosting from my Pumpkin Cupcakes.
It’s a match made in heaven.
Ingredients For Pumpkin Cake:
We’re keeping things super simple with this recipe by starting with a boxed cake mix! Yay!
- 1 Vanilla Cake Mix (yellow, butter recipe, white, etc)
- 1 box INSTANT vanilla pudding – just the powder, no need to make the pudding
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
That’s it!
No oil needed, as the pumpkin is a delicious and nutritious substitution for oil.
How To Make Pumpkin Sheet Cake –
This is one of those, just dump all the ingredients in and mix, kind of cakes.
Just make sure to mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes, to really get the mix nice and fluffy.
Spread the pumpkin cake batter into a half sheet baking pan that’s been coated with baking spray.
You can find half sheet baking pans at Walmart, Target and even Amazon. These are my favorite ones.
How Long To Bake Sheet Cake
Since the cake is so thin, the sheet cake will bake at 350 degrees F for just 23-25 minutes!
BONUS – the cake also cools really fast too!
Sheet Cakes are perfect for a quick dessert that will feed a crowd!
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting
I really love this super simple frosting! It combines cream cheese and butter along with powdered sugar to make a sweet and creamy icing.
Jazz it up with a dash of vanilla and a little more pumpkin pie spice and it’s the perfect topping for this fluffy pumpkin cake!
How To Store Pumpkin Cake
Since this pumpkin cake has a cream cheese icing, you’ll need to store it covered in the refrigerator. The cake can last for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: In order to freeze this cake, you’ll need to wrap it in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. You can freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Do not frost the cake prior to freezing.
Transfer frozen cake from freezer to refrigerator and let defrost in fridge for one day.
More Pumpkin Cake Recipes To Try –
Craving more easy pumpkin cake recipes? Here are a few favorites that are easy peasy and totally delicious!
- Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Pumpkin Gooey Cake
- Quick Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Easy Pumpkin Crumb Cake
More Sheet Cake Recipes to Feed a Crowd
Sheet cake recipes are great because they’re perfect for feeding a large crowd. I love making them for Sunday Supper when we invite the extended family over.
- Black Forest Texas Sheet Cake
- Vanilla Raspberry Sheet Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
- Pumpkin Pie Bars – it’s like pumpkin pie in bar form!
Pumpkin Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For The Pumpkin Cake
- 1 box Vanilla Cake Mix, yellow, white, butter recipe, etc.
- 3.4 oz package vanilla INSTANT pudding mix, just the powder
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
For The Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp heavy cream, more to thin icing if needed
Instructions
For The Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a half sheet baking pan (18"x13") with baking spray and set aside.
- Combine the cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs, milk, pumpkin puree and 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix for an additional 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Spread cake batter in prepared baking pan and bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool completely.
For The Frosting
- Combine the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, remaining pumpkin pie spice and pinch of salt. Beat until smooth and incorporated. Add in heavy cream and continue beating until light and fluffy.
- Frost cooled cake with cream cheese frosting and enjoy! Keep cake covered and stored in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Nutrition
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LoriF
This cake was SO moist!!! We decided to not frost this first attempt, and just eat it plain, with a cup of coffee. The flavors were delicate. This cake comes together really quickly.
Sara
They make a pumpkin spice pudding mix, wouldn’t that give the cake an extra pumpkin taste?
Shawn
That would work too!
Pat
Hey Shawn can I use maybe a 9×13 and make it thicker?
Shawn
Yes, you definitely can. You’ll need to bake longer as well.
Maribel
Hey there Shawn, have not made this yet but sure sounds “Awesome”. Probably make it real soon to share with a few (live alone, but LOVE to bake/share) & my MD’s office girls too. I came across “pumpkin pudding” at local market (seasonal?) & think it will enhance the pumpkin flavor a lot more and make it that much more pronounced/yummier? Yeah, think I’m “going with that for sure”, will probably (if I remember), let you know how it comes out later. Thanks for sharing/posting this recipe.
Shawn
Yup! I bet that would be an awesome addition! Hope you enjoy!