The Easiest Moist Pumpkin Sheet Cake (8x8inch)

This easy 8×8 pumpkin sheet cake is what fall is all about! It has all of the autumn spices, it’s light, it’s a one bowl cake recipe, and it is made in an 8×8 inch pan. Can’t go wrong with this one! Whether you are making this pumpkin cake for Thanksgiving or just simple as an afternoon tea cake, this is one for the books.

Tis the season for anything and everything pumpkin and who’s really mad about it, you know? Not me, that’s for sure!

Here’s the deal though, I heard that there is a canned pumpkin shortage this fall so I’m silently freaking out. I had a large can of pumpkin puree in my pantry for like 6 months now and I was able to make three recipes out of it.

At this point I only have about ½ cup of pumpkin puree left, so maybe I will make something small batch or just look at it and cry because I can’t make anything glorious like this recipe right here…

On the bright side, at least I was able to make this glorious recipes right?! This pumpkin sheet cake has been something I dreamt of making and sharing with you for a while, but I just didn’t get to it until now!

This is my go to pumpkin sheet cake recipe to make on thanksgiving day!

Like I said previously in my Pumpkin Muffins with Pumpkin Streusel article, I love sweet pumpkin desserts. Pumpkin treats are something I didn’t discover until I moved to America so every time around this year I get so excited to have every thing pumpkin.

If it was a thing, I would probably turn orange because of how much pumpkin treats I have on the daily during the fall season! I’m saying this and eating leftovers of this sheet cake with a nice cup of hot tea.. I mean who can blame, right?

What’s so special about this 8×8 pumpkin sheet cake?

Ohhh!! Where should I begin… This is the most fun part of this blog post. Here is why you need this pumpkin sheet cake in your life:

• Rich- It’s what all your pumpkin dreams are made out of!
• Moist.. It’s like a pillow type of moist!!
• Packed with fall flavors. Think cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, all spice!
• Melts in your mouth DELICIOUS!
• Single layer cake made in an 8×8 inch baking pan instead of your regular 9×13. So perfect for smaller families.
• One bowl pumpkin cake recipe.

Ingredients to make pumpkin sheet cake

Here are the ingredients that you will need to make this pumpkin sheet cake:

• Butter– You will need to melt your butter and let it cool down slightly.
• Eggs– The eggs need to be at room temperature.
• Brown sugar and granulated sugar– We are using both sugars to get the best texture and flavors out of this pumpkin cake!
• Pumpkin puree– I use Libby’s canned pumpkin because it always makes my pumpkin treats taste AMAZING!
• Vanilla extract– The vanilla extract brightens the flavors of this cake so so much.
• Flour– All purpose flour works great for this cake recipe.
• Baking powder and baking soda – These will give our cake the height it deserves! Making it lighter and fluffier than ever.
• Salt– Salt to balance out the cake’s sweetness.
• Pumpkin pie spice– Can’t have a pumpkin cake without the pumpkin pie spices!
• Vanilla frosting- I used this Simple Mills vanilla frosting.

Can I make my own pumpkin pie spice?

Absolutely! Pumpkin pie spice is very easy to make. You can make your own by following this Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Can I use something else instead of the butter?

Well, yes you can.

I personally love the butter addition because it makes this cake so much more moist. If you don’t have butter you can use oil at a 1:1 ratio. Meaning, you can substitute ½ cup of oil for ½ cup (1stick) butter.

You can also use unsweetened apple sauce to cut down on the fat content of this cake. To do this, you can use ¼ cup apple sauce and ¼ cup butter or oil.

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How to make pumpkin sheet cake?

1. First, start by preheating the oven to 350F and line an 8×8 baking sheet with parchment paper then set aside.
2. In a medium bowl or a stand mixer bowl, add in the melted butter, the eggs, the brown sugar, the granulated sugar, the pumpkin puree and the vanilla extract and mix on medium speed or whisk until combined. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice and mix again until the batter is thick and you don’t see any more flour.
3. Pour the muffin cake batter into the prepared 8×8 baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or until you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean. If the top of your cake is getting too dark loosely cover the cake pan with aluminum foil.
4. When the cake is done baking, pull it out of the oven and let it cool in the baking pan for 30-60 minutes or until completely cool. Now you can either spread your vanilla frosting on top while it’s still in the pan or pull it out and put it on a serving plate and frost it. Decorate the cake with some star anise, cinnamon, and even flowers. Cut and serve!

Can I still make this pumpkin sheet cake if I don’t have a stand mixer or a hand mixer?

Oh yes! This cake can easily be made without an electric mixer. Follow the same instruction, just use a whisk instead of the stand or hand mixer.

The cake will turn out just as good, and you’ll be able to enjoy it in no time.

How to decorate pumpkin sheet cake?

I went for a simple, yet elaborate decoration. I spread a layer of vanilla frosting on top of my sheet cake then topped it with beautiful orange flowers to symbolize fall perfectly.

• To use flowers as cake decoration, cut most of the stem off, then cover the bottom part of the flower with aluminum foil to make sure that it doesn’t touch your frosting. When they’re ready top the cake with them and enjoy how gorgeous it make it look.

I also used star anise to embody the fall spirit as well as some cinnamon dusting.

Feel free to decorate your cake however you please though! That’s the most fun part 🙂

Can I make my own frosting for this sheet cake?

Absolutely! I used my simple mill vanilla frosting because it tastes super good. It’s light and doesn’t taste too chemically, which is what I love about it the most.

But if you have time and you want t make your own frosting from scratch. Try this Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting. It is the best homemade creme cheese frosting and will go amazingly with this pumpkin cake!

Tips to make the best sheet cake

Here are a few tips that everyone can benefit from when making sheet cakes.

1. Don’t over mix the cake. We want a cake that’s light and fluffy.
2. Make sure to line your baking pan with parchment paper or grease and flour it to make sure that the cake does not stick to the pan.
3. If the cake top starts to brown a little too much loosely cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil to keep it nice and golden brown.
4. Let the cake cool completely before you pull it out of the baking pan.
5. Wait until the cake is completely cook to frost it. We don’t want to end up with a messy melted frosting!

Moist pumpkin sheet cake with vanilla frosting

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More thanksgiving recipes you will love!

• Roasted brussels sprouts– This is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish!
• Blueberry sour cream pie– For those who don’t love pumpkin desserts as much!
• Pumpkin crunch– This is a different dessert that pumpkin lovers will drool over for sure!
• Cranberry ginger punch- AKA my go to drink this Thanksgiving.
• Maple butter rolls– Great bread is always welcome on my Thanksgiving table!
• Sweet potato balls– If you’re feeling a little adventurous try these out!

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