Pumpkin Caramel Sheet Cake — My Favorite, Favorite, Favorite Fall Recipe
I Have Four Words for You, and They Taste Like Fall
Pumpkin caramel sheet cake is my absolute favorite, favorite, favorite fall recipe, and I have been so excited to share it with you so you can make it too. It’s a soft, lightly spiced pumpkin cake that bakes up the prettiest orange color, covered in a brown sugar caramel frosting that is just over the top. The batter comes together in one bowl, the frosting in one saucepan, and the whole thing bakes in a single half-sheet pan and cuts into 40 squares. It will definitely feed a crowd.
🍰 This one will soon find itself in my collection of desserts for a crowd — the big-batch sweets I actually make when there are a lot of people to feed.
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Watch me make this pumpkin caramel sheet cake from start to finish — or scroll down for the full printable recipe card.
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Pumpkin Caramel Sheet Cake
Start CookingIngredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 15 ounces pure pumpkin puree one 15-ounce can, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 cup avocado oil or any vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- shortening for greasing the pan, I use Crisco
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Don’t Want to Plan? I Got You.Every Saturday I share a full week of dinners, sides, and a dessert — with the grocery list already done. Come grab this week’s Weekly Meal Plans!Equipment
Method Start Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a half-sheet pan well with shortening so every square lifts out cleanly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth.
- Add the eggs and whisk again until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until the batter is smooth and creamy with no dry streaks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly to the edges.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar. Stir over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool for 6 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the frosting over the cooled cake right away and spread it to the edges before it starts to set.
- Let the frosting set, then cut into 40 squares. Decorate with fall sprinkles or edible gold leaf if you like.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Four Weeks of Family-Friendly FoodWhen people gather, I cook. Four weeks of the dinners my crowd asks for — planned, tested, and shopped for. Come see what’s in the cookbook →Why This Pumpkin Caramel Sheet Cake Works
This pumpkin caramel sheet cake looks like you fussed, and you really didn’t. The cake is a one-bowl batter you whisk together by hand: sugar, a can of pumpkin, oil, and eggs, then the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt go right in. That’s it for the cake part. One of the fun things about a sheet cake is that the batter just pours right out onto the pan, you spread it to the edges, and it bakes up soft and moist. Look close and you can see the little flecks of cinnamon in all that pumpkin color. It cannot get more fall than that.
The cake part is really yummy, but it’s the caramel frosting that makes this recipe. Butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar come to a boil in a saucepan, cool for six minutes, and then the powdered sugar and vanilla get whisked in. Pour it over the cooled cake, spread it out, and it sets up soft and fudgy on top of that tender pumpkin cake. Brown sugar and pumpkin were made for each other.
You know me, I prefer baking powder, so that’s what I use here. My original recipe card calls for 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and I swap in 4 teaspoons of baking powder instead, which is 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon. If you’ve ever wondered why those two aren’t interchangeable spoon for spoon, King Arthur Baking explains the difference between baking soda and baking powder really well.
Normally I’m not a fancy girl. I make my sheet cakes in the sheet pan and serve them right out of it. But this batch was for an event, so I needed every one of those 40 squares to lift out clean and pretty for the platter, and that’s the whole reason I grease the pan so well. And for the record, our cat Dustin approved. He was right there, trying his best to get a lick of my bowl.
A Few Things That Make Pumpkin Caramel Sheet Cake Even Easier
- Grab 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. They sit side by side on the grocery store shelf, so check the label. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced and will throw off the whole cake. I use one 15-ounce can of Libby's 100% pure pumpkin .
- Grease the pan like you mean it. If you’re serving right from the pan, a quick spray is plenty. If you want to lift the squares out onto a platter, grease every corner with my trusty Crisco so nothing sticks.
- Let the cake cool completely before you start the frosting. The caramel frosting starts to set as it cools, so you want the cake ready and waiting. Once the powdered sugar goes in, pour it on and spread it out with a spatula right away.
- Cut 5 across and 8 down. That’s how you get 40 even squares out of a half-sheet pan. Wait until the frosting has set so your cuts stay clean.
- Dress it up for a party. A pinch of fall leaf sprinkles or a flake of edible gold leaf on each square makes a simple sheet cake look like it came from a bakery. That’s exactly how I decorated the batch in these photos.
Pumpkin Caramel Sheet Cake FAQ — The Questions I Get Every Time
What temperature and how long do I bake pumpkin caramel sheet cake?
Bake it at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Then let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before you make the frosting. You want that caramel frosting to set up on top of the cake, not melt into it.
What size pan do I need for pumpkin caramel sheet cake?
I always use a half-sheet pan, the standard rimmed 18×13 size. It needs that rim because the batter pours right out and spreads to the edges. My handwritten recipe card actually says a 15×10 jelly roll pan, which gives you a thicker cake, so if you go that route, trust the toothpick test instead of the clock.
Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder?
Yes. My original recipe card calls for 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and plenty of people make it that way. I just prefer baking powder, so I use 4 teaspoons, which is 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon. Either one works.
Can I make pumpkin caramel sheet cake ahead of time?
Absolutely, and when I’m feeding a crowd, that’s the way to go. Bake and frost your pumpkin caramel sheet cake the day before, let the frosting set, and cover the pan. It keeps covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so it’s ready to grab and go the morning of your event.
Is caramel frosting hard to make?
Not at all, and you don’t need a candy thermometer. You just stir butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to boil, let it cool for 6 minutes, and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. The only trick is timing: have your cake cooled and ready, because the frosting starts to set as it cools.
Can I use vegetable oil instead of avocado oil?
Yes. I use avocado oil because that’s what I keep in my pantry, but any neutral vegetable oil works just the same. My old recipe card even says vegetable oil, so use whatever you have.
How many people does pumpkin caramel sheet cake feed?
One pan of pumpkin caramel sheet cake cuts into 40 squares, so it will definitely feed a crowd. Cut it 5 across and 8 down once the frosting has set. For a potluck, a school party, or a big family gathering, one pan is usually plenty. If you need more, bake a second pan rather than trying to fit a double batch into one.
The quick version of my pumpkin caramel sheet cake, in about 30 seconds.
🛒 Complete Shopping List
Everything you need to make this Pumpkin Caramel Sheet Cake — click any item to shop on Amazon.
Ingredients
Equipment
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Texas Sheet Cake — the chocolate sheet cake I make for every crowd, with that warm poured frosting.
- White Texas Sheet Cake — the same one-pan idea, with the dreamiest almond frosting.
- Caramel Brookie Cups — if the caramel got you, these are cookie, caramel, and brownie in one little cup.
- Mama’s Apple Pie — another fall favorite, the easy homemade pie that gets all the compliments.
- Dark Chocolate Mousse — made ahead in little cups, and the dessert my daughter asks for.
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Pumpkin Caramel Sheet Cake — About Stephanie’s Recipes
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.