Creamy pumpkin and plenty of fall spices shine through in this super soft pumpkin sheet cake that gets frosted in a silky cream cheese frosting and is big enough to serve a crowd.
I’m here to declare that pumpkin season is incomplete without a big ol’ sheet cake in it! With a metric truckload of cream cheese frosting slathered over every inch, cause, duh.
Name a better dessert to take anywhere this fall, I’ll wait.
The beauty about a sheet cake is that it typically means a quick batter, shorter bake time, and no fussing around with layers. All that is the case today and you can have this one done in only 45 minutes!
Thank God, cause the faster you get this one to your face the better…
This Sheet Cake features…
- A soft, melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin cake
- Silky cream cheese frosting piled on top
- Bakes up in minutes and feeds a crowd
Making the Sheet Cake
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Granulated sugar
- Pumpkin puree
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- 2% or skim milk
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
Tips for Perfect Sheet Cake
- Bake cake in 10×15 sheet pan – this size pan will yield the ideal sheet cake thickness.
- Spoon and level flour – I use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife.
- Gently fold batter – overmixing will lead to a dry cake so use a gentle hand when folding batter.
- Use a toothpick to test cake – insert a toothpick in the center of cake to test for doneness.
- Allow cake to cool before frosting – the frosting will melt off if you try to frost them while the cake is still warm.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this cake.
- Add chocolate – fold 3/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips into batter.
- Add nuts – fold 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts into batter. Top cake with additional nuts after frosting.
- Use another frosting – try a vanilla buttercream, chocolate frosting, or caramel sauce.
Storing and Freezing Cake
Due to the cream cheese frosting this cake must be stored in refrigerator. Store slices in refrigerator up to 4 days and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
If you would like to freeze cake, allow to cool completely and do not frost. Wrap cake well and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw cake completely at room temperature and top with frosting before serving.
If you’re looking for that showstopper dessert to bring to a fall gathering, I think you’ve just found it. This cake will bring even non-pumpkin lovers to their knees.
Just make sure you stash a few of those extra slices away for…uhh…safekeeping.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More pumpkin desserts to add to your baking list!
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/4 cups pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup 2% or skim milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2-1 tablespoon 2% or skim milk
- Pumpkin pie spice for topping
Instructions
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 10×15 inch sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Fold flour mixture into liquid until batter is just combined.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake cake at 350F 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place cream cheese and butter in a large bowl (or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment) and use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed until 2-3 minutes until creamy.
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar to cream cheese mixture and beat an additional 2-3 minutes until frosting is completely smooth and creamy. Beat in 1/2 tablespoon milk and more as needed to thin frosting.
- Spread frosting over cooled sheet cake and sprinkle top with additional pumpkin pie spice. Cut cake into squares and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 10/9/25.
Nancy says
I thought a sheet cake was larger like 13x18x1 inch! So would I double the recipe to cook in this size pan? I m serving a lot of people. And I plan on makin 2. For thanksgiving dinner.
Sarah says
Yes, you would have to double this recipe to make it fit into a 13×18 pan. I am unsure of the exact baking time you would need, but I’m guessing you would have to increase it a little bit. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!