Go Back
+ servings
Top-down close-up shot of a sheet cake topped with white frosting and pecan nuts, cut into squares.
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Pumpkin Spice Cake

This Pumpkin Cake is moist, tender, and so easy to make from scratch! With the perfect balance of pumpkin flavor and spices, this simple sheet cake is one of the best pumpkin spice cakes you'll ever eat.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 15 ounces pumpkin puree

For the Frosting:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened and cut into pieces
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  • In a medium bowl combine, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together oil, eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar at medium-high speed until thick and creamy, about 4 minutes.
  • Reduce speed to low and add pumpkin puree. Beat until combined.
  • With the mixer running on low add the flour mixture in three additions. Mix until just combined. Don't overmix.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
  • To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.
  • Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mix on low until combined, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. 
  • Frost cake and serve. Cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Let get to room temperature before serving. 

Video

Notes

  • To make this cake a little bit healthier: Instead of 1 cup vegetable oil, try 1/2 cup (90g) unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 (120ml) cup vegetable oil.
  • Instead of pumpkin spice, you can also use 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp cloves
  • Baking pan: Dark pans and glass dishes cook the outside of the cake faster than shiny metal pans do. So turn the oven down by 25° F when using a dark metal pan or glass bakeware.
  • Every oven is different: Unless you have a regularly calibrated oven, your oven’s temperature is probably inaccurate. So keep an eye on your cake and always test with a skewer for doneness, the skewer should come out clean.
  • Instead of cream cheese, you can also use the same amount of Mascarpone cheese. I love the taste of mascarpone in frosting! It is not as tangy as cream cheese and has a mild buttery flavor.
  • This cake can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Let it get to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 4565IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1.5mg