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This Pumpkin Sheet Cake is three creamy and sweet layers of cake, sweet pumpkin pudding and whipped cream rosettes. A cross between Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake, this is the perfect make ahead dessert for any Thanksgiving gathering!
Pumpkin Sheet Cake: A Dessert That Feeds a Crowd
I’m so excited to be sharing this recipe for Pumpkin Sheet Cake with you today!! This dessert is meant to be enjoyed by all that can be made ahead and hits the spot for anyone and everyone!
While I love any kind of Pumpkin Dessert, this one holds a special place in my heart because its so darn easy to make (hello, cake mix!) and can be made well in advance before the holidays. This serves a hefty 24 people, so like I mentioned above, it’s meant for a crowd! Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas or anything you happen to be celebrating in between.
Basic Ingredients Needed
This Pumpkin Sheet Cake has three main layers: the pumpkin cake, the creamy pumpkin topping and homemade whipped cream. While it sounds fancy and looks amazing, I assure you it’s much easier than it appears. Take a peek that this ingredients list and you’ll see what I mean:
- Yellow Cake Mix + Pumpkin Pie Spice– I have been having the hardest time finding a spice cake mix, but you know what works just as beautifully? Yellow cake mix that is spiked with pumpkin pie spice. Works like a charm.
- Eggs, Water, Vegetable Oil – very common ingredients needed to make a boxed cake mix. Pay attention to the brand of cake mix and the increments for these ingredients in the recipe card.
- Pumpkin– this pumpkin sheet cake uses an entire 15 oz. can of pumpkin: half in the baked cake and half in the creamy pumpkin topping.
- Cream Cheese– Love the tang and creaminess you get from cream cheese!
- Sugar– used to sweeten up the creamy pumpkin topping.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding– this flavors our filling, adds sweetness and helps thicken it all at the same time!
- Milk + Heavy Cream – you need milk for the pudding to ‘activate’ and heavy cream to add extra creaminess.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice– Love that warmth and spiciness you get from this spice blend.
- Heavy Whipping Cream, Vanilla, and Powdered Sugar – you cannot beat homemade whipped cream on top of a freshly baked cake.
More Pumpkin Recipes you should save/bookmark/eventually make: Pumpkin Cookies, Yeasted Pumpkin Waffles, Pumpkin Dip Recipe, and Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake.
How to Make a Pumpkin Sheet Cake
If you read the recipe through, it can seem on the long side and you might start second-guessing the purposes of life, but I promise you won’t break a sweat, and anyone you feed this to will love you forever. For full details on how to make Pumpkin Sheet Cake, see the recipe card down below:
- Mix cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin, eggs, water, and oil together until combined.
- Spread cake batter evenly onto greased half sheet pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Remove and set aside to cool.
- For the Creamy Pumpkin Topping, stir cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
- Add in pumpkin, vanilla, milk, cream, and pumpkin pie spice until thick and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.
- For the Whipped Cream, whip heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe whipped cream into rosettes all over cake. Sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice as garnish and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make-Ahead
Like I mentioned above, this is a great make ahead recipe! I like to make the first two layers (pumpkin sheet cake + pumpkin topping) up to 3 days in advance and then decorate with the whipped cream on the day I’m ready to serve. (whipped cream has a tendency to deflate after 24 hours in the fridge, so I save that step for last.) As long as your cake is covered well with plastic wrap, your cake will last at least 3 days.
A great make-ahead pumpkin dessert for Thanksgiving or even Christmas 🙂 Yum yum!
More Sheet Cakes to Try!
- Applesauce Sheet Cake with Divinity Frosting
- Key Lime Pie Sheet Cake
- Peanut Butter Pie Sheet Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
More Pumpkin Cakes to Try!
- Pumpkin Layer Cake
- Nutella Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Roll Cake
- Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
- Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes
You will not regret making this Pumpkin Sheet Cake this season!
The printable recipe card is down below, have a good day 🙂
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake-
- 15.25 oz yellow cake mix I used Betty Crocker
- 7.5 oz pumpkin 1/2 can
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
For the Pumpkin Topping-
For the Whipped Cream-
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 18×13 lightly colored sheet pan {with sides!} with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, water, oil and pumpkin pie spice together until combined.
- Batter should be thick and mostly lump free.
- Spread evenly onto the prepared sheet pan and bake for 13-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Remove and set aside to cool.
- While the cake is baking, stir cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
- Stir in pumpkin, vanilla, milk, cream, and cinnamon until thick and fluffy. Scrape sides and mix again briefly to ensure a smooth topping.
- As the pumpkin mixture sits, it should thicken. Refrigerate if cake isn't cooled completely.
- Once cake is completely cooled, spread evenly over entire cake and refrigerate while you make the whipped cream.
- For the cream, whip heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form. Pipe large rosettes onto chilled cake and sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into 24 square pieces.
Made this cake for our Thanksgiving dinner this year! It was amazing …. lots of “coming back fro seconds”.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Could you make this with apple butter instead of pumpkin?
I would use unsweetened apple sauce instead of pumpkin.
[…] Pumpkin Pie Sheetcake | Lauren’s Latest […]
This cake is absolutely delicious. I did not have spiced cake so I used vanilla. I think vanilla was the perfect touch. This was eaten up in a day. My family couldn’t get enough.
[…] Pumpkin Pie Sheetcake | Lauren’s Latest […]
This sounds amazing! The large portion size is appealing because I’m a teacher, and just one pan could feed a whole class! I’ll have to make this for my little darlings this coming fall ????
Oh my! My daughter is going to go nuts on this cake, I think I will surprise her for Christmas! This looks incredible and easy and very very tasty!
OMG, this looks so good, and a great way to have pie and cake!
I made this for a large group, special occasion and it was a BIG hit!!!
When you mention “cream” for the second layer, do you mean half & half or whipping cream?
Can’t wait to make this for my beautiful daughter and her hubs when they come home for Thanksgiving!!
yummy
Going on the Thanksgiving list!
Thank You for a great recipe !
I think I’m going to cut the pie crust into little leaves. I enjoy having a recipe that is uncomplicated, I don’t have to rush out to buy anything special and you know it’s going to smell sooo yummy baking !
Really looking forward to baking this….
Yum! I’m definitely making this for Thanksgiving! Your recipes are the best!
PS – I was super jealous you (& several others bloggers I follow) were in Cinci! We lived there for 11 years and I miss it & my friends.