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Preppy Kitchen

The Best Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A soft, fluffy pumpkin sheet cake full of warm cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. It's topped with a silky, slightly tangy vanilla cream cheese frosting.

⏱ 40 minAmericanpumpkincakecream cheese frostingfallsheet cake

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 2 cupsall-purpose flour · 240 g; spoon and level or weigh
  • 1 teaspoonbaking soda
  • 2 teaspoonsbaking powder
  • 2 teaspoonsground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonsground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoonnutmeg · freshly grated or ground
  • 1 teaspoonsalt
  • 1 1/2 cupsgranulated sugar · 300 g
  • 1 cupvegetable oil · or any neutral oil
  • 15 ouncepumpkin puree · one can
  • 4large eggs
  • 2 teaspoonsvanilla extract · or dark rum, or omit

For the cream cheese frosting

  • 3/4 cupunsalted butter · 1 1/2 sticks / 170 g, room temperature
  • 8 ouncescream cheese · 226 g, room temperature
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
  • 3 cupspowdered sugar · 360 g, sifted if clumpy

Steps

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan with baking spray, or butter and flour it.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

  3. 3

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla.

  4. 4

    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold with a spatula until just combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl for pockets of flour. Don't overmix.

  5. 5

    Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.

  6. 6

    For the frosting, beat the butter with a paddle attachment until creamy. Add the cream cheese and mix on medium-low for about 2 minutes, until well combined.

  7. 7

    Add the pinch of salt and the vanilla, then scrape down the bowl.

  8. 8

    With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar half a cup to a cup at a time. Then beat on medium for about 1 minute, until light and fluffy.

  9. 9

    If you like, invert the cooled cake onto a wire rack and then onto a platter. Otherwise, frost it in the pan.

  10. 10

    Spread the frosting in an even layer with an offset spatula and swoop it if you like. Dust with cinnamon if desired, then slice and serve.

Creator's notes

Instead of the individual spices you can use 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Allspice (1/2 tsp), cardamom (1/4 tsp), mace or a little black pepper are also optional additions. Cutting the sugar makes the cake firmer and more bread-like. Oil keeps the cake soft when it comes out of the fridge. The frosted cake keeps 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Unfrosted, it can stay covered at room temperature. It's also good with just a dusting of powdered sugar.

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