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Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is a warmly spiced sheet cake baked in a 9x13-inch dish. It bakes up soft and moist, then gets a smooth frosting once completely cooled.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon ground
  • 1 tsp ginger ground
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg ground
  • 0.25 tsp cloves ground
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs large
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
For the cream cheese frosting
  • 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.125 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish
  • 1 electric mixer

Method
 

Make the cake
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
  4. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vegetable oil until smooth.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until no dry streaks remain.
  6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared dish.
  7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Set the cake on a wire rack and cool completely in the dish, about 2 hours.
Make the frosting
  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.
  3. Beat on low until combined, then on medium until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, frost only after the cake is completely cool. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; freeze unfrosted cake for up to 2 months. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.