Pumpkin Cake
This delicious pumpkin cake is baked in a sheet pan. It's lightly spiced, very moist, and great for potlucks. When cool, top with your favorite cream cheese frosting.
Pumpkin Cake Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade pumpkin cake recipe:
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cake batter structure.
Leaveners: Baking soda and baking powder acts as leaveners, which means they help the cake rise.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon lends warmth and flavor.
Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the overall flavor, but it won’t make the cake taste salty.
Sugar: You’ll need two cups of white sugar for this sweet pumpkin cake.
Oil: Vegetable oil is essential for this moist cake.
Pumpkin: This recipe calls for canned pumpkin, but you can use homemade pumpkin puree.
Vanilla: Take the flavor up a notch with a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Eggs: Four eggs add moisture and help bind the batter together.
Nuts: Walnuts are optional, but they add welcome crunch. Pecans will also work well.
How to Make Pumpkin Cake
You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this from-scratch pumpkin cake:
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and beat the wet ingredients in another.
Beat the flour mixture into the wet mixture.
Stir in the nuts (if using) and pour it into a prepared sheet pan.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Cake?
Pumpkin cake freezes well and is a great way to get a head start on your fall baking. Wrap the cooled, unfrosted cake in at least one layer of storage wrap and at least one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups white sugar
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18-inch sheet pan.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.
Beat sugar and oil together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
Blend in pumpkin and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time.
Gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir in walnuts; spread batter into the prepared sheet pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
