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Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake is a soft pumpkin cake perfectly seasoned with warm pumpkin spice seasonings and pure pumpkin. Topped with cream cheese frosting and a garnish of chopped pecans. This is one pumpkin dessert recipe that you will want to make every single year. 

You will also love my cinnamon streusel pumpkin cake and this pumpkin pie poke cake

Stacked white plates with a piece of pumpkin sheet cake on it with a fork.

Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake Recipe

I just love these delicious pumpkin desserts that can feed a crowd (or lots of leftovers!) like this pumpkin spice sheet cake. Leftovers of pumpkin cake is one of my favorite things and this recipe provides plenty of leftovers. 

A soft and super moist pumpkin cake bursting with flavor thanks to the perfect blend of Fall spices like pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. 

A sheet pan of pumpkin spice cake.

What You’ll Need

It’s simple to make this pumpkin sheet cake recipe. Pantry staple baking ingredients is what you will need to make this pumpkin cake. 

  • All-Purpose Flour – I like to use unbleached flour but bleached flour will work just as good. You can also feel free to use a gluten-free flour, just make sure it’s a 1:1 ratio to all-purpose flour. 
  • Baking Powder – Helps the pumpkin cake get nice and fluffy. 
  • Baking Soda
  • Cinnamon
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Butter – I use salted butter in this recipe. You can use unsalted butter and then add additional salt if needed.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Large Eggs
  • 100% Pure Pumpkin – It’s so important that you use ‘pure pumpkin’ and not the ‘pumpkin pie filling’ mix. 
  • Sour Cream – Use the real stuff for best results! Not lite or reduced-fat sour cream. 
  • Whole Milk
  • Vanilla Extract

The cream cheese frosting is a simple mixture of butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and then it is garnished with chopped pecans.

A bite of pumpkin cake on a silver fork with some cake blurred in the background too.

How To Make A Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake

With two mixing bowls, or a stand mixer, and a cookie sheet it’s pretty simple to make this pumpkin sheet cake. Read below for modified instructions and be sure to get the full recipe down below in the recipe card. 

Preparation : Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet (12″x18″ or some are also 13″x17″). Sometimes this is also called a half sheet pan or jelly roll pan. Spray this well with cooking spray.

Dry Ingredients : Combine the dry ingredients into a smaller mixing bowl and stir with a whisk. The whisk acts as a sifter to break up any clumps. 

Wet Ingredients : In a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or use a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until it’s fluffy and lighter in color. 

Extras : Add eggs, pure pumpkin, sour cream, milk and vanilla and blend to combine together. 

Cake : Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix on low speed just until combined. Dump the batter into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. 

Bake : Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If there is wet batter then it’s not done. Continue cooking until the toothpick is clean. 

Frosting : Prepare the frosting and frost the cake. Top with chopped pecans. Either serve right away or this cake can be refrigerated until ready to serve. I prefer this cake cold. 

Ingredients need to make pumpkin sheet cake with two pictures. One with a bowl of the wet ingredients.

A collage with two pictures with one of a bowl with the dry ingredients and the other after is has already been mixed.

Raw pumpkin batter on one pan and the other picture shows it after it has cooked in the pan.

How to make the cream cheese frosting with ingredient photo.

Cream cheese frosting picture and another picture with the pumpkin cake frosted with it.

Tips For Success

  • Cold Cake : This cake is so good cold! It’s much easier to frost a cold cake than a room temperature one. I suggest making the cake the day before you need it and letting it refrigerate overnight or all day. Then when you’re ready to serve, make the cream cheese frosting, and frost the cold cake. 
  • Pecans : Add some chopped pecans on top for a yummy crunch and texture to the cake. I love cream cheese + pumpkin but feel like it’s even better with some crunch from pecans. Try it!
  • Pure Pumpkin : Make sure you are using 100% pure pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling mix. They are in similar cans so double check you are using the correct one. Pumpkin pie filling mix is a premixed pumpkin pie filling so it is more of a liquid consistency with spices rather than a puree of pumpkin. 
  • How Do I Know When It’s Done? : This is so important! If you take the cake out of the oven when there is still wet batter in the center then the cake will sink in the middle and have a raw batter texture to it. It will not continue to cook once it cools (like cookies) so make sure that a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry before taking it out of the oven. 
  • Full Fat Ingredients : For best flavor and richness use full fat cream cheese and sour cream. The lighter cream cheese and sour cream has more liquid in it and it does not taste nearly as good as the real stuff. Of course, the light versions can be substituted but for best results use full fat. 

A slice of cake on a white plate

How Do I Store Leftovers of Pumpkin Sheet Cake?

Leftovers store best in the fridge, in a covered container, for up to 4-5 days. I actually prefer this cake after it’s been sitting in the fridge for a few days. 

The pumpkin flavor intensifies and the cake just gets more delicious and softer as leftovers. 

Can I Freeze Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake?

Yes you can free pumpkin spice sheet cake with a few modifications. 

I would suggest baking and cooling the cake as directed and then freezing just the cake. The cream cheese frosting will not freeze well so be sure you freeze just the cake and then top it with the frosting when ready to serve. 

I also want to put a disclaimer that I don’t freeze a lot so the cream cheese frosting might freeze just fine. It is definitely worth a try if you know more about freezing than I do.

Overhead of pumpkin sheet cake topped with pecans.

Close up shot of pumpkin spice sheet cake on a white plate and garnished with pecans.

Other Pumpkin Dessert Recipes You’ll Love

Pumpkin Caramel Bundt Cake : Homemade pumpkin bundt cake topped with the most luscious caramel frosting that you may just want to eat with a spoon!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Whoopie Pies : Only 5 ingredients and so crazy good. A soft cake mix pumpkin cookie sandwiched between a whipped instant pudding frosting. 

Pumpkin Muffins : Perfect pumpkin muffins that are easy to make.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins : Pumpkin muffins stuffed with a sweet cheesecake mixture and topped with crumble.

Stacked white plates with a piece of pumpkin sheet cake on it with a fork.
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Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake


Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 24
Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake is a soft pumpkin cake perfectly seasoned with warm pumpkin spice seasonings and pure pumpkin. Topped with cream cheese frosting and a garnish of chopped pecans. This one pumpkin dessert recipe that you will want to make every single year. 

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Spice Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 bar (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°. Spray your cookie sheet well with cooking spray and set aside.
    * Cookie sheet is the 12"x17" size. Make sure you are using a cookie sheet that has higher sides on it.
  • In a small mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
  • In a stand mixer (or large bowl with hand mixer) add the butter and sugar and beat for 1 minute, or until lighter in color and fluffy looking.
  • Add eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, milk and vanilla; beat until combined.
  • Add in your flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
  • Spread the mixture evenly into your prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
    * I prefer to make the cake the day before and once it's cooled, I put it in the fridge overnight. I then make the frosting and frost it the following day. It's much easier to frost a cold cake.
  • FROSTING : Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Continue beating until the frosting is smooth. Spread onto cake and then sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
  • Serve right away or refrigerate before serving. As with any pumpkin baked good, it gets better and better the longer it sits in the fridge. Keep leftovers stored in the fridge.

Notes

Full Fat Dairy : It's best to use full fat sour cream and cream cheese for this recipe. It provides the best taste, richness, and texture to the cake and frosting. 
Pure Pumpkin : Make sure you are using 100% pure pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling mix. 
Cold Cake : I think this cake tastes the best cold. I prefer to make it the day before or the morning of, and then refrigerate it until I am ready to serve it. Then I will make the frosting and frost the cold cake. It's easier to frost a cold cake. Be sure you are only refrigerating or frosting the cake until after it has cooled. 

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 194mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 3064IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg

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8 Comments

  1. Yum, yum and more yum! Love pumpkin cake, but not sure I’m ready for it to be that time of year!

    1. Together As Family says:

      I love pumpkin too! Although, with all this heat & humidity here I am so ready for cooler temps 🙂 Thanks for visiting!

  2. What are the dimentions of your sheet pan please?

    1. Together As Family says:

      Mine is 12×17 and I have another one I have used for this recipe that is a 13×18. Hope that helps 🙂

  3. Can this be made in a regular baking pan? I don’t have a sheet pan and I don’t want to buy one. I have a 9x9x2, an 8x8x2, 8″ and 9″ rounds. Loaf pans. Etc. Maybe I’ll try the pumpkin muffins instead.

    1. Together As Family says:

      I think it might work to divide it between the 9” and 8” pans.

  4. Has anyone made this in a 9.5 x 13.5 cake pan?
    Cooking time would need to be adjusted?

    1. Together As Family says:

      I’m afraid there may be too much batter for a 9×13 baking pan and it may overflow while baking. You could always use the 9×13 pan and maybe just not use all the batter… although, it is a thinner cake in the sheet pan so the 9×13 pan may work just fine.