Fall is upon us, and that means that wonderful things like pumpkin, boots, hay rides, and pumpkin patches are just around the corner. This Easy Pumpkin Sheet Cake with a rich caramel icing that will feed a crowd!
Quick and Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake, Quick and Easy Vanilla Sheet Cake and Pumpkin Sheet Cake with a Simple Cream Icing are all sheet cakes worth trying too.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Caramel Icing
With the heat of the summer behind us, we tend to have lots of parties and evening outside. We might roast hot dogs or just spend the evening on the porch swing; but either way, gatherings and groups often mean food! This simple Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Caramel Frosting is one of my favorite recipes to make in the fall because it’s perfect for a party or an evening around the fire. The cake is moist with just the right amount of spice, and the caramel frosting is extra-rich, so the thin layer on top is just right. This fuss-free cake is just the kind of dessert a fall with friends is made of.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Caramel Frosting is part of Pumpkin Week and my, what a glorious week it is! Cassie from Wholefully and I have been prepping just for you, because we know you love pumpkin as much as we do. Today Cassie is sharing a gorgeous Savory Pumpkin Hummus recipe that I can’t wait to dip something into. Isn’t it pretty?
Here are a few things that I love about this recipe:
- I adore sheet cakes because they can feed a crowd with smaller pieces, or you can serve giant pieces, which are fun to eat (but aren’t really that big of a portion because it’s really thin).
- The cake was really simple to make, even if you aren’t much of a baker. It isn’t a fussy recipe.
- Can we have a moment of silence for that caramel frosting? So. GOOD! I love caramel, so the frosting was awesome. I’m going to be trying it on cinnamon rolls and spice cake in the future, plus, it was really easy to make.
- If you are taking this to an event/party/picnic/bonfire, you can make it a day ahead of time and it travels well (do you have these sheet cake pan covers? I love mine).
- One word: pumpkin. Seriously, why are pumpkin recipes so magical?
How many people will a sheet cake feed?
This sheet cake will feed about 30 people. Perfect for entertaining.
How do I frost a sheet cake?
Don’t dump all the frosting in one spot. The cake has a pretty thin layer so pour the frosting out evenly over the cake and use an offset spatula to finish spreading it out. Don’t try to work frosting over too much or worry about getting it perfectly smooth. As the frosting cools it will start to set and if you spread it too much it will make it look yucky and will start to pull the cake up. A little imperfection here is going to be better than trying to mess with it too much. If it really bothers you a few cute fall sprinkles on top because it totally sets will take some of the emphasis off your imperfect frosting.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
Easy pumpkin sheet cake with a rich caramel icing that will feed a crowd!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 2/3 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 recipe Caramel Frosting, follows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a jelly roll pan well (18 by 13 inch baking pan) and set aside.
- In a medium bowl add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, salt, all spice, and ginger. Use a whisk to combine well and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer add your sugar, oil, and eggs and beat until well combined and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until combined, about a minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until the mixture just starts to come together (don’t over mix).
- Give the batter a stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it’s full combined and then add the batter to the prepared pan. Use the spatula to spread it out evenly in the pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the cake springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick instered into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cook before making the icing.
Notes
This recipes is from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book page 250.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin cake recipe, easy pumpkin sheet cake, autumn cake, fall baking
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Caramel Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: about 2 cups 1x
Description
Simple Caramel Frosting that goes great on pumpkin and spice cake as well as cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is foamy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla until the frosting is smooth. Spread the warm frosting evenly over the top of the cool cake and then let it set, about 25 minutes, before serving.
Notes
Don’t dump all the frosting in one spot. The cake has a pretty thin layer so pour the frosting out evenly over the cake and use an offset spatula to finish spreading it out. Don’t try to work frosting over too much or worry about getting it perfectly smooth. As the frosting cools it will start to set and if you spread it too much it will make it look yucky and will start to pull the cake up. A little imperfection here is going to be better than trying to mess with it too much. If it really bothers you a few cute fall sprinkles on top because it totally sets will take some of the emphasis off your imperfect frosting.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: caramel frosting recipe
Want To Save This Recipe?
Both the cake recipe and the frosting recipe come from the America’s Test Kitchen’s Family Baking Book, pages 250 and 251. I love this book and highly recommend it for all home cooks.
I can’t wait for you to make this! I hope you tag me when you do!
Enjoy Pumpkin Week from my kitchen to yours, and stay tuned for more!
About Melissa
I have a lot going on, and I’d much rather spend my time enjoying my messes than fretting about what I’m going to make for dinner. Over the past few years, I’ve nailed down a few strategies that helped me keep my kitchen running like a well-oiled machine, so I started Bless This Mess to help other mess-loving parents solve the nightly dinner delimma—no stress, no drama, just really great food your whole family will love. Read more...
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This is a superb recipe in every way! lThe cake is fluffy and tender and the icing is “gilding the lilly.” I also tried it substituting 1/4 c of the sugar with 1/4 c of molasses to give a ‘gingerbread” version, and that was wonderful too.
Thanks for the recipe.
Yum!! Loving all the Pumpkin Week recipes!! Thanks for all the work you put in and for sharing!! Love reading all your good ideas and what’s happening in your world! I’ve been to Utah but really need to hit up the Zion area!
You’re so welcome! And come, come, come! I’ll feed you dinner and if you come in two years you can stay in my basement 🙂