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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Published: Oct 28, 2019 · Modified: Jun 15, 2020 by Danielle · This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.

    Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Caramel Coffee Cinnamon Frosting

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    Piece of pumpkin sheet cake on a plate with sheet pan in background and graphics overlayed.
    Piece of pumpkin sheet cake with a bite taken out and text overlayed.

    Moist pumpkin pie spiced cake with a caramel, coffee, cinnamon frosting. This sheet cake is so easy, feeds a crowd, and is best made in advance. What more could you want?

    Piece of cake with fork.
    Tender pumpkin cake that is lightly spiced and topped with caramel coffee frosting makes for the perfect bite of fall!
    Skip to:
    • 🍰 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd
    • 🙋 Questions & Answers
    • 📖  More lovin' from the oven
    • 👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks
    • 👋 Connect with us! 
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Don’t get me wrong... I love all the seasons, but isn’t fall the best?  After scorching heat here in the desert, the days begin to mellow and the nights begin to cool. Windows can stay open and the AC gets turned off. The leaves begin to change colors and football starts. Personally I don’t care much about football, but in our family it is the start of Family Football Sundays. Only about half the family watches. Really it’s just a chance to get together for a few hours each week to eat and talk and eat and talk. Which leads us to this cake. So easy to serve to a crowd, takes no more than 30 minutes of hands-on time, and is better when refrigerated overnight.

    The inspiration for this cake comes from two places. This Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake and this Cinnamon Coffee Frosting. I highly recommend pouring a cup of your favorite brew to drink alongside.

    🍰 Ingredients

    Cake

    Flour
    Baking soda
    Pumpkin pie spice
    Salt
    Pumpkin puree
    Sugar
    Canola oil
    Eggs
    Vanilla

    Frosting

    Butter
    Brown Sugar
    Cream or Milk
    Salt
    Instant coffee Granules
    Cinnamon
    Powdered Sugar

    🔪 Instructions

    Cake Batter

    The cake is a very simple recipe that requires three steps. 

    • Combine your dry ingredients 
    • Combine your wet ingredients 
    • Mix together
    Pumpkin sheet cake batter in bowl.
    This batter comes together in just a few minutes.

    Now take that beautiful, golden batter and pour it in the prepared sheet pan. Be sure to smooth it out. Bake for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime prepare your frosting.

    Side-by-side of cake batter and baked cake.
    Look for a deeply golden top and the toothpick to come out clean.

    Frosting

    The frosting is just as simple.

    • Add first four ingredients to a sauce pan and bring to a boil
    • Allow to cool slightly 
    • Beat in remaining ingredients
    Frosting in bowl.
    Make double since you will want to eat it by the spoonful. 😉

    While the frosting is still warm, pour it right on top of the cake and spread from edge to edge. Don’t worry. It will look like it’s not enough, but it is. The cake layer is so thin that you don’t want a thick layer of frosting.

    👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd

    Sheet cakes are an ideal dessert when serving a crowd. For such a simple process you get a flavor-packed, super moist, easy to transport, feed a ton of people kind of cake. The cake can be made a couple ahead and stored tightly wrapped in the freezer. If you would rather make a couple days ahead the whole thing can be made and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to two days.

    🙋 Questions & Answers

    Can sheet cake be frozen?

    A sheet cake can be frozen for 2-3 months. It is best to freeze the cake before frosting. In order to maintain freshness be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before unwrapping. Then proceed with frosting.

    How many does a sheet cake serve?

    It will serve approximately 20 people. If you want to cut the slices a little bit larger plan for 15.

    How do I decorate a sheet cake?

    This kind of sheet cake does not require decorating. It has a rustic, homemade feel to it. However, if you want to dress it up in the easiest way possible grab some fall sprinkles and adorn the top right after frosting it. Or for a slightly more elevated look create a grid pattern on the top of the cake where you want the slices to be. Do this carefully. Straight lines are essential. Place a candy pumpkin in the center of each square and lightly add fall colored jimmies or sprinkles. Viola! Pretty and delicious!

    Piece of pumpkin sheet cake on plate with whole cake in background.
    Bring on the pumpkin sheet cake!

    There are so many good recipes out there, but this one is so worth making because:

    • This cake is incredibly moist.
    • The pumpkin pie spice blend adds just the right amount of flavor.
    • The frosting is the perfect blend of caramel and coffee with a hint of cinnamon. 

    📖  More lovin' from the oven

    • Chocolate is always in season and this Chocolate Bundt Cake turns out perfectly Every. Single. Time.
    • Want a side dish that is freezer-friendly and perfect for serving a large group? Look no further. This Twice Baked Potato Bake has you covered.
    • The Easiest Cream Biscuits are a pillowy-soft addition to any warm, comforting dinner. But prepare extra because they make an amazing breakfast sandwich the next morning.

    👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

    • The size of your sheet cake pan makes a difference in baking time. The pan we used is 13x18. We buy them from Sam’s Club, but here is a similar one on Amazon. 
    • When you mix the wet and dry ingredients together make sure the wet is on the bottom. Otherwise you might end up with flour lumps in the batter. Ask how I know. 😉
    • Be sure to pour the frosting over the cake while both the cake and frosting are still warm. 
    • This cake, like most cakes, benefits from being refrigerated overnight. If you have to make it the day of try and place it in the refrigerator for as long as possible before serving. 
    • When storing overnight or transporting, I LOVE using a sheet pan cover. I use them for so many things that I have found them well worth the investment. They can be found at restaurant supply stores or here on Amazon.

    👋 Connect with us! 

    If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food! To get our new recipes straight to your email, subscribe to our newsletter.

    📋 Recipe

    Fork cutting into piece of pumpkin sheet cake

    Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Caramel Coffee Cinnamon Frosting

    Moist pumpkin pie spiced cake with a caramel, coffee, cinnamon frosting.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 20
    Calories: 377kcal
    Author: Borrowed Bites

    Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients

    • 2 cups flour
    • 2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice *our homemade blend is in the notes section
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Wet Ingredients

    • 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
    • 2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1 cup canola oil
    • 4 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla

    Frosting

    • ½ cup butter
    • ¾ cup brown sugar
    • 4 tablespoon cream or milk
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1½ teaspoon instant coffee granules crushed
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • 2 cups powdered sugar
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 13X18 inch sheet pan with baking spray.
    • Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl.
    • Combine wet ingredients in a separate, larger bowl. Mix until smooth.
    • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined being careful not to over mix.
    • Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes. The cake is done when tester comes out clean. While the cake is baking prepare frosting.

    Frosting

    • Combine butter, brown sugar, cream or milk, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 7-10 minutes. Mixture should still be warm.
    • Add vanilla, crushed coffee granules, and cinnamon to mixture. Stir to combine.
    • Using a mixer or hand beaters, slowly beat in powdered sugar. Increase speed until thoroughly combined and smooth. Thin as needed with extra cream or milk.
    • While both the cake and frosting are still warm, but not hot, pour frosting directly onto cake. Spread from edge to edge. It will be a thin layer but will cover completely.
    • For optimal moistness refrigerate overnight.

    Notes

    Homemade Pumpkin Spice Blend-Combine 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cloves, and 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon together. Measure out 1 ½ tablespoon for the cake recipe.
     
    All other notes are in the Tips & Tricks section located just above the recipe. 

    Add Your Own Notes

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 3770IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

    All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating or pin it for later!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Martha says

      July 16, 2020 at 11:54 am

      5 stars
      This cake is addicting! No leftovers when I served this at a party.

      Reply
      • Danielle says

        July 16, 2020 at 11:55 am

        So happy you and yours loved it!

        Reply
    2. Aspen says

      October 31, 2019 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      I don't like coffee or coffee-flavored desserts, but everything about this cake including the coffee-flavored frosting is delicious! Perfect fall treat. 🙂

      Reply

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