This pumpkin cake has always been one of my favorite desserts. It's fool-proof, fast, and feeds a crowd, making it perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas gatherings. The cake is made in a sheet pan, so there's minimal cleanup and no fussy icing and decorating. We like to cut ours into rectangular bars that you can pick up with your hands.
Seriously, just make this cake. It's super moist, tastes good for days, and is festive without being over-the-top. The cream cheese frosting makes it so good and really pulls all the flavors together.
Here's what you need.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Vegetable oil. We use avocado oil, but regular vegetable oil works too!
- Canned pumpkin. Make sure you get the real stuff--pumpkin should be the only ingredient.
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Here's how we make this pumpkin cake.
To make the cake, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside. In a different large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together with a hand or stand mixer, then add oil and beat well. Add the pumpkin, then gradually add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the batter to a greased half sheet pan (18"x13") (you can line the sheet pan with parchment paper instead of greasing it if you prefer) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
To make the cream cheese frosting, combine one stick of softened unsalted butter and one 8-oz package of cream cheese with a hand or stand mixer. Then add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until combined.
Once the cake is done, let it cool completely, then top with frosting and spread evenly. We like to cut our cake into rectangular bars, but you can serve it however you like. To cut it into rectangular bars, cut the cake crosswise into fourths, then cut the fourths into thirds. Then cut lengthwise into fourths. Decorate with sprinkles or whatever else you like! We decorated with Halloween sprinkles and used a chocolate mold to make some chocolate bats.
Serve it with...
Our Apple Cider Bourbon Latte!
Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is super moist, tastes good for days, and is festive without being over-the-top. The cream cheese frosting makes it so good and really pulls all the flavors together. It's fool-proof, fast, and feeds a crowd, making it perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas gatherings.
48
servings10
minutes169
kcal35
minutesIngredients
- For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (we use avocado, but plain vegetable oil works too)
2 cups canned pumpkin
- For the cream cheese frosting:
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 8 oz package cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside.
- In a different large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together with a hand or stand mixer, then add oil and beat well. Add the pumpkin, then gradually add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the batter to a greased half sheet pan (18"x13") (you can line the sheet pan with parchment paper instead of greasing it if you prefer) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, combine butter and cream cheese with a hand or stand mixer. Then add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until combined.
- Once the cake is done, let it cool completely, then top with frosting and spread evenly.
- To cut into rectangular bars, cut the cake crosswise into fourths, then cut the fourths into thirds. Then cut lengthwise into fourths (48 total bars).
- Decorate with sprinkles or whatever else you like and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator.
Sharie S. says
These….. Are…….Amazing!!! Super moist and sooooo yummy!! Love, love, love the cream cheese frosting! Thanks for the recipe!