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?
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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
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.
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
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
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.
It will serve approximately 20 people. If you want to cut the slices a little bit larger plan for 15.
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!
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.
📋 Recipe
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Caramel Coffee Cinnamon Frosting
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tbsp pumpkin pie spice *our homemade blend is in the notes section
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp cream or milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ tsp instant coffee granules crushed
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups powdered sugar
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.
Aspen says
I don't like coffee or coffee-flavored desserts, but everything about this cake including the coffee-flavored frosting is delicious! Perfect fall treat. 🙂
Martha says
This cake is addicting! No leftovers when I served this at a party.
Danielle says
So happy you and yours loved it!