Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A soft, warmly spiced pumpkin sheet cake with tangy cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts. One 23 × 33 cm cake makes 12 generous slices; nutrition is estimated per slice. Batch yield: One 23 × 33 cm sheet cake, cut into 12 generous slices. One serving: 1 frosted slice with walnuts, approximately 170 g. Allow about 3 hours 45 minutes from starting to sliced cake: 20 minutes preparing the batter, 35 minutes baking in one oven batch, 120 minutes cooling, 15 minutes making and applying the frosting and nuts, 30 minutes chilling, and 5 minutes cutting. Prep_minutes is the total non-oven elapsed time, including mandatory cooling and chilling. Oven preheating and the brief melted-butter cooling overlap batter preparation. The frosting butter and cream cheese soften during the final 45 minutes of cake cooling, so that time is not counted twice. Bake time is an estimate; extend baking or cooling if the doneness or complete-cooling cues have not been reached. Appliances: Oven; Microwave; Electric hand mixer; Refrigerator. Equipment: 23 × 33 cm metal baking tin, at least 5 cm deep; Baking parchment; Digital kitchen scales; Measuring jug or spoons; Microwave-safe bowl; Mixing bowls; Whisk; Flexible spatula; Sieve; Wire cooling rack; Skewer; Spreading spatula; Cutting board; Knife. Allergens: Contains wheat gluten, milk, eggs and walnuts. Check packaged ingredient labels for any additional allergens or cross-contact warnings. Storage: Keep the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator at 4°C/40°F or below for up to 4 days. Do not store it at room temperature overnight. Keep total room-temperature exposure of the cream cheese frosting ingredients and finished cake under 2 hours, including softening and decorating, or under 1 hour above 32°C/90°F. Freeze individual slices in airtight containers for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
190 min
Prep
35 min
Cook
12
Serves
543
Calories
Macros · per serving
7g protein
69g carbs
27g fat
Ingredients
For 12 servings
- 115 g Unsalted butter, for the cake
- 200 g Light brown sugar
- 100 g Granulated sugar
- 425 g Canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling
- 120 g Unsweetened applesauce
- 10 ml Vanilla extract, for the cake
- 4 eggs Large eggs, about 200 g without shells
- 250 g Plain all-purpose flour
- 5 g Baking soda
- 8 g Baking powder
- 5 g Ground cinnamon, for the cake
- 4 g Pumpkin pie spice
- 5 g Fine salt, for the cake
- 300 g Full-fat block cream cheese, vegetarian-suitable
- 75 g Unsalted butter, for the frosting
- 250 g Icing sugar
- 5 ml Vanilla extract, for the frosting
- 1 g Ground cinnamon, for the frosting
- 0.5 g Fine salt, for the frosting
- 60 g Walnut halves
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 175°C/350°F conventional or 155°C/310°F fan. Line the base and sides of a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 inch), at least 5 cm-deep metal baking tin with baking parchment, leaving overhang for lifting. No grease is needed.
- 2
Put the 115 g cake butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until just melted, about 60–90 seconds altogether. Leave for about 5 minutes until lukewarm while you measure the remaining cake ingredients.
- 3
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, 5 g cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and 5 g salt, breaking up any lumps.
- 4
In another bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars until evenly combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the pumpkin purée, applesauce and 10 ml vanilla. The mixture should be smooth and thick. Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula just until no flour remains; do not beat.
- 5
Scrape all the batter, approximately 1.45 kg, into the prepared tin and spread it level. Bake on the middle shelf for about 35 minutes, checking from 30 minutes; allow up to 40 minutes if needed. The centre should spring back lightly, and a skewer inserted into the centre should emerge clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- 6
Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Lift the cake out using the parchment and leave on the rack for approximately 110 minutes more, until completely cool through the centre. During the final 45 minutes of cooling, take the cream cheese and 75 g frosting butter from the refrigerator. The butter should become soft enough to indent easily but must not melt.
- 7
Once the cake is completely cool, make the frosting. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened frosting butter for 1 minute until creamy. Sift in the icing sugar in three additions, mixing on low after each addition. Add the 5 ml vanilla, 1 g cinnamon and 0.5 g salt. Add the softened cream cheese in three portions and beat briefly on low until smooth and spreadable; stop as soon as combined to avoid loosening it.
- 8
Transfer the cooled cake to a board and gently remove the parchment. Spread all the frosting over the top in an even, softly swirled layer. Chop the walnuts and scatter all 60 g evenly over the frosting. Allow about 15 minutes for making the frosting, spreading it and adding the nuts.
- 9
Refrigerate the frosted cake for 30 minutes to firm the topping. Cut into a 3 × 4 grid to make 12 equal slices, allowing about 5 minutes for cutting. Each finished slice weighs approximately 170 g after baking moisture loss; the exact weight will vary.
Cook it this week.
NeatEat plans Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — and the rest of your week — around your budget, groceries included.