pumpkin spice sheet cake
Wouldn’t be autumn without a pumpkin cake, would it?
I went through a phase of baking layer cakes pretty much every month, but now I think I’m converting back to the good ole fashioned sheet cake. They’re pretty seamless, after all, and while maybe not as fancy shmancy, they’re certainly no less tasty. And honestly, quite a lot easier to cut, if were being frank. Layer cakes can be a pain in the ass to drag a knife through.
My pumpkin chai cupcakes from a few weeks ago inspired me to take on a proper cake. And lordy, is it a good ‘un. Soft, springy, not too sweet, and rippled with a silky spiced cream cheese frosting. Very easy to whip up, especially if you need a last-minute treat to bring to a gathering or have unexpected visitors popping in on a random weekend.
Forewarning: you’ll want to lick the frosting right out the bowl. Not the most sanitary thing to do, but honestly, I wouldn’t blame you for cleaning up the scraps once you’re finished decorating the cake.
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
The cake itself makes a nice 9 x 13 slab of awesome. So make sure you’ve got one of those pans lying around and line that shit with parchment.
In a bowl, whip some vegetable oil with brown sugar and regular sugar. Then, beat in a few eggs, one at a time, then some vanilla, Greek yogurt, and a whole can of pumpkin puree. Yep, a whole can. No awkward remnants of pumpkin loitering in your fridge.
Next, dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, a little salt, and your spices. We’re talking cinnamon, ginger, and clove, my dynamic PS trio. Mix until just combined. The batter can still have some lumps, but no visible streaks of flour.
Spread the batter into your cake pan, pop that shit in a 350 degree oven, and bake until the center sets and a toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Place the cake pan on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Warm cake = melty, weird frosting. No good.
Frosty the Buttercream…Man…
I’ve played with many a cream cheese frosting before, and this lovely rendition is very easy and no-fuss.
Start with chilled cream cheese. This lets the frosting hold up better rather than getting too warm and starting to melt. Mix on low speed with some butter until combined, then throw in a good splash of vanilla. Next: cinnamon, ginger, and clove (yep, again. All hail), then incrementally add in your powdered sugar. You may need up to 3 cups, but I usually land on between 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 cups. Once everything is decently mixed together in the bowl, flip that mixer speed to high and whip until everything is nice and fluffy.
Then, all you gotta do is frost that baby, slice, and dish it out!
Or, cover it up and store until you’re ready to serve. I like to put the cake in the fridge for up to a week, and you can also freeze any leftovers for up to a month if you need an emergency cake stash. Totally understand. Been there, done that.
A swell finish to Thanksgiving dinner, or just for celebrating any ole thing this season. Or, even better, ridding your cabinet of that pesky can of pumpkin you’ve been trying to find a use for. You are fucken welcome.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More punkin treats to eats:
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
pumpkin spice sheet cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
spiced cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, chilled
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp round cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated; then the vanilla, Greek yogurt, and pumpkin. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few small crumbs. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely.
- When the cake is cooled, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter on low speed until combined, then mix in the vanilla. Add the spices, then the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until the frosting is firm but fluffy. Crank the speed to high and whip for 1-2 minutes until very fluffy.
- Frost the cake as desired. Slice and serve immediately, or cover and store at room temperature up to 5 days, the fridge for a week, or the freezer for a month.
