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This Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting is nicely spiced, moist, fluffy and has the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor. The frosting is nutty, buttery and gives this cake the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Ready in 1 hour and it’s easy enough for anyone to make. Top it with Homemade Sprinkles then serve it with Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese and the Best Caesar Salad for a cozy dinner!
Iโm not sure if youโve noticed but me and sheet cakes have a thing. They’re WAY better than a big, layered cake because itโs a million times less stress and time. I also think that anyone, AND I MEAN ANYONE, can decorate a sheet cake. Everything from this Mini Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting, Brown Butter Pecan Sheet Cake or this One Bowl Chocolate Cake is beginner-friendly and totally bomb!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
- Dry ingredients – All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice. This cake has the perfect amount of lift and lightness and the spices really make it taste like pumpkin pie and fall.
- Pumpkin puree – 100% pure pumpkin puree gives the right amount of pumpkin flavor to this cake. Make sure you are using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Oil – You don’t want to use butter. Vegetable oil adds moisture and lightness to the cake, butter will make it too dense. I like to use avocado or vegetable oil.
- Brown butter frosting – Instead of a regular buttercream frosting, the butter is first browned so it has nutty and savory notes that complement the sweetness of the frosting and the cake.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How To Make Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
- Prep the cake pan – Grease a 9×13-inch sheet pan with cooking spray then line with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl then set aside.
- Make the pumpkin cake – In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together eggs, oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in the dry ingredients until combined. Pour the batter into a prepared sheet pan, spreading it out evenly with an offset spatula or butter knife.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert it onto a cooling rack.
- Brown the butter – Add 1 stick of room temperature butter to a stand-up mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Then place the other stick into a small sauce pot set over medium heat. Allow it to melt then cook until you see light brown specks, stir then cook until the butter is browned and smells nutty. Remove butter from the pan then allow it to cool. Freeze it for 10 – 15 minutes or until it’s room temperature.
- Make the brown butter frosting – Transfer browned butter to the butter in the stand mixer, beat it together with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and heavy cream until light and fluffy.
- Assemble and decorate – Pour frosting over cooled cake then create swoops with an offset spatula. Top with sprinkles then slice and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- Trick to make the best swirls in your frosting: You gotta plop all the frosting right in the center and then push it out. It really works splendidly. It also takes under 5 minutes. If you mess with it too much then it starts to look too purposeful. The decorating needs to look casual yet cute. Donโt put too much effort into it, you know. Use a trusty off-set spatula or even a butter knife to make the swoops and swirls. Here is the cake pan I love using, and here is a link to the sprinkles I made!
- *If you don’t have pumpkin spice, you can make your own by adding this to the dry ingredients: 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, Pinch of ground cloves.
- Make cupcakes: This recipe will make 24 cupcakes. Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Make a layer cake: Divide the batter into two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Let’s talk about different oils! In the cake pictured, I used vegetable oil. But avocado oil (a very neutral healthy oil) will work great. As will coconut oil, though it will give off a bit of a coconut flavor so beware.
Recipe FAQs
What’s the difference between a sheet cake and regular cake?
Sheet cakes are made in a sheet pan and regular cakes are made in round or square cake pan and are sometimes layered. I love sheet cakes because everything can be poured into one pan then it gets frosted in one go – no layers or complicated steps.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake the cake the night before then frost the next day. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then leave it on the counter at room temperature. For the frosting, make it as listed then cover it with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. When you are ready, allow it to come to room temperature before frosting. You might need to give it a good mix first!
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
This Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting is nicely spiced, moist, fluffy and has the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor. The frosting is nutty, buttery and gives this cake the perfect balance of sweet and salty. It's ready in 1 hour and it's easy enough for anyone to make. Top it with Homemade Sprinkles then serve it with Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese and the Best Caesar Salad for a cozy dinner!
Equipment
- 1 (9×13-inch) baking pan or 2 (12-cavity) cupcake pans or 2(8-inch or 9-inch) cake pans
- 1 Stand-up Mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and paddle attachment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 offset spatula
Ingredients
One-Bowl Pumpkin Sheet Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups white granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup neutral oil, (such as avocado, vegetable or safflower oil)
- 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Brown Butter Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided (2 sticks are just room temperature)
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line with a sheet of parchment (this makes it easier to remove it from the pan) and set aside. Alternatively you can make cupcakes and cake pans
- In the a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer (or a large bowl using an electric mixer), whisk together the eggs, neutral oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out using an offset spatula or butter knife. Transfer to the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then invert it onto a cooling rack. BE CAREFUL IT'S A BIG CAKE.
To Make the Brown Butter Frosting:
- If youโll notice in the recipe it calls for the butter to be divided so! Two sticks (1 cup) are going to be room temperature. One stick (1/2 cup) of the butter is what weโre going to brown.
- Go ahead and start by adding the room temperature butter to the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment (OR a medium bowl using an electric mixer).
- Cube up 1/2 cup of the butter (1 stick). In a small saucepan, set over medium heat, add the cubed butter. Once itโs melted, it will begin to foam up and bubble a bit. Allow it to cook until you begin to see lightly browned specks beginning to form. Give it a stir and cook until itโs browned. You should also start to smell its nutty aroma. Remove it from the pan and continue to stir to cool it down.
- Transfer it to a small bowl (freezer-safe) and place it in the freezer to chill, for about 10 to 15 minutes. We want it to be around room temperature butter. After it gets to that room temperature butter-firmness (it can be a bit softerโthatโs ok), transfer it to the bowl with the other room temperature butter.
- Sift in the powdered sugar and add the vanilla extract, salt and heavy cream. Beat the frosting for about 3 minutes. The fluffiness from the heavy cream really lightens up this frosting so be sure to beat it for the full 3 minutes.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Pour all of the frosting on the cooled sheet cake and spread it around, creating cute swoops as you go. Top it with some sprinkles and cut it up and slice! Cake will stay moist for about 3 days when wrapped properly.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Trick to make the best swirls in your frosting:ย You gotta plopย allย the frosting right in the center and then push it out. It really works splendidly. It also takes under 5 minutes. If you mess with it too much then it starts to look too purposeful. The decorating needs to look casual yet cute. Donโt put too much effort into it, you know. It just takes some swoops and swirls with a trustyย off-setย spatula or even a butter knife and thatโs it. Here is theย cake panย I love using, and here is a link toย the sprinkles I made!
- *If you donโt have pumpkin spice, you can make your own by adding this to the dry ingredients:ย 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, Pinch of ground cloves.
- Make cupcakes:ย This recipe will make 24 cupcakes. Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.ย
- Make a layer cake: Divide the batter into two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.ย
- Letโs talk about different oils!ย In the cake pictured, I used vegetable oil. But avocado oil (a very neutral healthy oil) will work great. As will coconut oil, though it will give off a bit of a coconut flavor so beware.ย
Nutrition
Calories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 258mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 69g | Vitamin A: 819IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!
This is my go to pumpkin cake that I made every year! I get asked for the recipe every time I bring it to an event. So many of your recipes are my go to recipes so thank you for putting all the time and effort into creating these recipes!
Made this for my husbands birthday and it was great!!! Moist, flavorful and easy to bake. 10/10
I’ve made this a few times over the past few years and it’s always delicious! The frosting is my favorite part.
My mom and I make this every fall, for like the past four years! I look forward to it every year!! Started off for my momโs birthday, and now itโs a fall tradition ๐
Can we substitute white sugar for brown in this ? A friend made this for us and iv been obsessed ever since.
I have made this and love it but wonder if I can instead use 2 round cake pans? Will it still work?
I made this for a group this week, doubled the recipe and it was a great big hit! I didn’t even add sprinkles. The cake was super moist and the icing is the bomb! Will definitely make this again. I already have multiple requests.
WONDERFUL! so glad it worked out. x
I make this cake for my family every thanksgiving and everyone looks forward to it! I have since started using a boxed pumpkin cake mix, because the frosting is truly what sets this cake apart!
the frosting truly is the best part ๐
Best cake ever, and have already made it twice! Large enough to freeze (and freezes perfectly), or share.
love hearing this! so glad you love it! ๐