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This Caramel Pumpkin Sheet Cake is a moist, spiced pumpkin cake topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting and a homemade pumpkin spice caramel drizzle. I make it every fall when the leaves turn, and it feeds a whole crowd straight from one pan. It is as cozy and crowd-pleasing as our spice layer cake.
Mix, bake, frost, and drizzle for an easy fall sheet cake that serves a crowd.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 20 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 419kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Spiced, sweet, pumpkiny, and caramel-rich
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our lemon blueberry coffee cake
Quick Answer
To make pumpkin sheet cake, whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, then in a separate bowl combine pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, oil, and eggs. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, spread the batter into a greased 17×11 sheet pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, then frost with whipped cream cheese frosting. Make a quick pumpkin spice caramel sauce and drizzle it over the top before serving.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- One bowl batter, no mixer needed. The pumpkin cake comes together with a whisk and simple pantry ingredients for an easy, fuss-free bake.
- Stays moist and tender. Pumpkin puree and oil keep the cake soft and moist for days, even better than a layer cake.
- Bakes fast in a sheet pan. Spread thin on a 17×11 pan, it bakes in just 18 to 20 minutes, so there is no long wait.
- Tangy cream cheese frosting. A whipped cream cheese frosting balances the sweet, spiced cake perfectly.
- That pumpkin spice caramel. A homemade pumpkin spice caramel drizzle takes it from good to bakery-worthy.
- Feeds a crowd. One sheet pan serves about 20, making it ideal for fall parties, potlucks, and Thanksgiving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A moist, spiced pumpkin cake bakes fast in one sheet pan and feeds a crowd.
- Fluffy cream cheese frosting and a homemade pumpkin spice caramel drizzle top it off.
- It is the coziest fall dessert, like our spice layer cake but easier.
Key Ingredients
Pantry staples plus a can of pumpkin make this easy, crowd-sized fall cake.
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, for the moistest cake and true pumpkin flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice: The warm blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove that flavors both the cake and the caramel.
- Flour, sugar, oil, and eggs: The simple base that gives the cake its tender, moist crumb.
- Cream cheese and butter: Whipped with powdered sugar and vanilla into a tangy, fluffy frosting.
- Caramel ingredients: Heavy cream, sugars, butter, and corn syrup cook into a glossy pumpkin spice caramel drizzle.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this pumpkin sheet cake your own with a few easy ideas.
- Use a different frosting: Try a brown butter or maple cream cheese frosting, or swap in our chocolate cream cheese frosting.
- Add nuts: Sprinkle toasted pecans or walnuts over the caramel for crunch.
- Make cupcakes: Divide the batter into a muffin tin and reduce the bake time for individual pumpkin cakes.
- Use store-bought caramel: Short on time? Warm a jar of caramel sauce and stir in a pinch of pumpkin pie spice.
- Add chocolate chips: Fold mini chocolate chips into the batter for a pumpkin-chocolate twist.
How to Make Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, oil, and eggs until combined, then slowly stir in the dry ingredients until just mixed with no dry patches.
- Pour the batter into a greased 17×11 baking sheet, spread it even, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- For the frosting, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth, beat in the vanilla, then add the powdered sugar a little at a time and whip for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Frost the cooled cake in an even layer.
- For the caramel, boil the heavy cream, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, butter, corn syrup, baking soda, and salt, then reduce to low and simmer 6 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Drizzle the warm pumpkin spice caramel over the frosted cake, slice into squares, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-sweetened and spiced and will throw off the recipe.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting, or the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide off.
- Do not overmix the batter, stir just until the dry ingredients disappear for the most tender crumb.
- Watch the caramel closely, simmer it gently for the full time so it thickens without scorching.
- Drizzle the caramel while warm so it spreads beautifully, like the glaze on our banana bundt cake.
- Let the caramel cool slightly before drizzling so it is pourable but not so hot it melts the frosting.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This caramel pumpkin sheet cake is the ultimate fall crowd dessert, perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween parties, potlucks, and cozy weekends. Slice it into squares straight from the pan and serve with extra caramel drizzle and a hot cup of coffee or cider. It looks beautiful on a dessert table alongside our lemon blueberry coffee cake.
Because it serves about 20, it is ideal for feeding a big group, and the make-ahead frosting and caramel mean less day-of work. Garnish each square with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a few toasted pecans for a pretty fall finish.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, bringing slices to room temperature before serving for the softest texture. For more easy crowd cakes, try our pina colada cake or peach upside down cake next.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake FAQs
Yes, pumpkin sheet cake is great for making ahead. You can bake the cake a day in advance and store it covered at room temperature, then frost it the next day. The cream cheese frosting and caramel sauce can both be made ahead and refrigerated, just bring the frosting to room temperature and rewarm the caramel slightly before using. Assembled cake keeps well in the fridge for several days.
Pumpkin puree is simply cooked, pureed pumpkin with nothing added, while pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced. This recipe calls for pure pumpkin puree so you can control the sugar and spice. Using pie filling would make the cake overly sweet and throw off the texture, so always check the label and use 100 percent pure pumpkin.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, store pumpkin sheet cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let slices sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so the cake softens and the flavors come through. You can also freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months, then thaw, frost, and drizzle with caramel before serving.
Yes, the unfrosted cake freezes beautifully. Cool it completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature, then make fresh cream cheese frosting and pumpkin spice caramel to top it. Freezing the fully frosted cake is not recommended since the frosting can change texture once thawed.
No, while the homemade pumpkin spice caramel is what makes this cake special, you can save time by warming a jar of store-bought caramel sauce and stirring in a pinch of pumpkin pie spice. The cake and cream cheese frosting are delicious on their own too, so the caramel drizzle is a wonderful but optional finishing touch.
This recipe uses a 17×11 inch rimmed baking sheet, sometimes called a half sheet pan, which gives you a thin cake that bakes quickly and serves about 20. If you only have a 9×13 pan, the cake will be thicker and need a longer bake time, so add several minutes and test with a toothpick until it comes out clean.
Craving more cozy cake? Try our spice layer cake next for another warm, fall-spiced dessert.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 15 oz pure pumpkin puree
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Pumpkin Spice Caramel Sauce:
- 6 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 17×11 baking sheet with baking spray, set aside. In a medium-sized bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt, set aside.
- Place the pumpkin, granulated sugar, oil, and eggs into a large bowl. Whisk until combined. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, with no dry patches.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wired rack and let cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
- Add the vanilla, mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar in ½ Cup at a time until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides. Whip the frosting for 2 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Once the cake is cooled, frost the top of the sheet cake.
Pumpkin Spice Caramel Sauce:
- Place the heavy cream, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, butter, corn syrup, baking soda, and salt into a medium-sized saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to low. Stir occasionally. Simmer on low for 6 minutes. Take off the heat, add in the vanilla, let cool slightly.
- Drizzle over the cake while it is still warm, enjoy!
Notes
- This can be frozen, see my storage tips above.
- You do not need to drizzle the cake with the homemade sauce, you can drizzle each slice individually.
- Regular caramel will work perfectly but the recipe I give is highly recommended.
- Make sure your cake is cooled completely before you frost this cake.
- This makes a large batch and will serve a crowd.
Nutrition
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That make me so happy. Thank you for sharing.
I make this cake all the time, and share it with friends and neighbors. Although I have not tried it with the caramel sauce but I will in the future.
Everyone loves this cake, especially my husband.
This recipe is a winner! I took it to a potluck and got a lot of compliments on how good it is. Will definitely be making this again and again.
Thanks so much, Laura, this one is definitely a keeper!!
I can’t wait to try this I need to measure my pans though to see if I have that size pan ?!
As I was reading it I thought I’m gonna have to double that frosting I shall make it this weekend thank you again !! I love your recipes
Now this is my kind of recipe! Even though it’s still kinda warm here, I’m totally ready for the Fall vibes to arrive. I’m thinking a nice slice of this cake needs to make it’s way to my kitchen counter soon! Thanks for sharing! #client