These pumpkin cake bars are one of my favorite desserts. They're fool-proof, fast, and feed a crowd, making them the perfect Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dessert. The cake is made in a sheet pan, so there's minimal cleanup and no fussy icing and decorating.
Seriously, just make this pumpkin 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. We like to cut ours into rectangular bars that you can pick up with your hands.
If you like this pumpkin cake, try our soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or frosted soft pumpkin cookies. Try serving it with our Apple Cider Bourbon Latte!
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Key Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: 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.
Step 6: 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!
Frequently asked questions
You can decorate it with sprinkles, chopped nuts (pecans would be great), or little piped pumpkins.
Sure! Just add chopped nuts to the batter before you pour it into the sheet pan. I recommend pecans, but use whatever you like!
Yes, because the frosting contains cream cheese, I recommend refrigerating this cake. I actually prefer the way it tastes cold anyway.
Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
These pumpkin cake bars are one of my favorite desserts. They're fool-proof, fast, and feed a crowd, making them the perfect Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dessert. The cake is made in a sheet pan, so there's minimal cleanup and no fussy icing and decorating.
48
servings10
minutes25
minutes169
kcal35
minutesPrevent your screen from going dark!
Ingredients
- 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!
Tracie says
I made mini loaves in my airfryer. So moist and good. Thanks
Mollie says
So glad to hear it worked in the air fryer! What settings did you use?
Bonnie says
I used my own canned pumpkin in this recipe. It is the best recipe. It was a hit at a graduation party. Gone within an hr.