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Easy pumpkin sheet cake with the perfect moisture level and all the quintessential fall spices. I’ve added almond flour to the batter for a slight nuttiness, finely chopped medjool dates to give some caramel goodness, while the salted dark chocolate frosting brings it all together.
For this recipe, I wanted a soft, tender cake full of cozy fall pumpkin flavor, something classic, but with a little twist. Dates pair beautifully with pumpkin, much like figs do in my carrot cake, adding natural sweetness and depth. The result is a cake that’s lighter and fluffier than a traditional spiced loaf, yet just as comforting.
And instead of fussing with a multilayered cake that can be tricky to slice neatly, I went with a simple pumpkin sheet cake. Cut into tidy squares, it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for a fall party.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- Pumpkin Puree not only gives earthy fall flavor but also makes the cake wonderfully soft and moist.
- Test Note: Both canned and homemade work, just make sure it’s pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Medjool Dates are soft, chewy, and bring a caramel-honey flavor that pairs beautifully with pumpkin.
- Test Note: Chop them to about the size of peas or even finer so they melt into the crumb instead of sinking.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Dark brown sugar adds caramel-like notes and keeps the cake extra moist, while a bit of granulated sugar helps lighten the sweetness so it’s not too heavy.
- Almond Flour & All Purpose Flour: The addition of almond flour adds a subtle nutty flavor. It also keeps the crumb moist and tender, balancing out the fluffiness of the pumpkin puree.
- Autumn Spices (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves): This cozy quartet is what makes the cake taste like fall. Cinnamon adds warmth, ginger a gentle zing, nutmeg a hint of nuttiness, and cloves that unmistakable spicy depth.
- Crème Fraîche: Think of this as the secret ingredient that makes the cake extra luxurious. It adds creaminess and tang, balancing the sweetness and giving the crumb a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Test Note: Greek yogurt or sour cream will also work, but crème fraîche has a lovely richness all its own.
- Sunflower Oil: Oil-based cakes stay super soft and moist, even after a day or two. Sunflower oil adds a light, slightly nutty undertone, but feel free to swap for another neutral oil you love.
How to Make Pumpkin Cake
This pumpkin sheet cake comes together using the simple muffin method: whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, then fold them together into a thick, pumpkin-rich batter. The chopped dates get stirred in at the very end, so their added flavor is dotted throughout the final cake.
Once baked and cooled, the cake is slathered with a luscious double chocolate buttercream and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for the perfect sweet-salty touch.
Frost & Serve
Option 1:
Allow the cake to cool completely in the cake pan. Spoon large dollups of frosting onto the cake and then smooth it out with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the frosting lightly with flaky salt, don’t overdo the salt. Slice the cake inside the pan and lift out each slice to serve.
Option 2 :
Place a piece of parchment paper on the top of the cooled cake. Gently flip the pan over onto a flat cutting board, with the parchment paper in between. The cake will release from the pan upside down. Remove the piece of parchment paper if used from the bottom of the cake. Then, flip the upside down cake back right side up onto a serving dish. Do not do this with a warm cake or it will break. Remove top piece of parchment paper to frost.
Spoon large dollups of frosting onto the cake and smooth out with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the frosting lightly with flaky salt, don’t overdo the salt. Slice the cake into square pieces and serve.
Helpful Tips
- Weigh ingredients for exact measurements, I use a scale for all my baking recipes.
- Puree freshly roasted pumpkin for an even deeper pumpkin flavor.
- Wait for the cake to cool completely before frosting, or the chocolate buttercream will melt.
- For an alternate flavor combo, swap out the chocolate buttercream for maple buttercream frosting.
Leftovers & Storage
- Room Temp: The frosted cake can stay out at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
- Chill: Place the cake in an airtight container and refrigerate for 5-7 days. The flaky salt may melt into small water droplets, but it won’t affect the frosting. To serve, allow cake to warm up to room temperature or microwave a slice for about 8-10 seconds.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 282 grams (2 ¼ cups) all purpose flour, 10-11% protein
- 72 grams (¾ cup) almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 149 grams (⅔ cup) sunflower oil, or neutral oil
- 112 grams (½ cup) crème fraîche, room temperature
- 220 grams (1 cup) dark brown sugar
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 425 grams (15 ounces) pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
- 43-64 grams (⅓-½ cup) pitted medjool dates, finely chopped, *optional
Buttercream Frosting
Topping
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter and flour. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix together using a wire hand whisk to evenly disperse all the ingredients. Set aside.282 grams all purpose flour, 72 grams almond flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Using a separate larger bowl with a handheld electric mixer on medium low speed, mix together the sunflower oil, crème fraîche, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.149 grams sunflower oil, 112 grams crème fraîche, 220 grams dark brown sugar, 200 grams granulated sugar
- Mix in the pumpkin and vanilla, followed by the eggs one at a time to form a smooth liquid mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract, 425 grams pumpkin puree
- Mix in half the flour mixture at a time on low speed to form a thick pumpkin batter.
- Fold in the chopped dates with a rubber spatula to disperse through the batter.43-64 grams pitted medjool dates
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Level the batter across the pan with an offset spatula.
- Transfer the pan to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35-38 minutes. Baking times vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. This may take up to an hour. If you’re in a hurry, after 30 minutes you can place the pan in the fridge to help speed up the cooling process.
- While the cake is cooling, make your chocolate buttercream frosting.1 x Double Chocolate Buttercream
- Spread chocolate buttercream across the top of the cake and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.flaky sea salt
Slice Cake
- For 12 pieces of cake, cut the cake in half on the short side. Then, cut each half into half. From there, cut the cake into thirds from the long side
- For smaller servings, just cut the 12 cake pieces in half for 24 pieces as you serve.
Notes
- Oven: This recipe was written for a conventional oven (top and bottom heat). For convection fan ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness 75% of the way through baking.
Weigh your flour: The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
Everyone loved this cake. Simple to whip up and the flavors are so good and it was super moist! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Could butter be used in place of the oil?
Hi Susan, Melted and cooled butter would be better to maintain the same liquid form. I haven’t tested it yet, but should be an equal swap. Cold butter on the other hand would be a different mixing method.