This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you love cozy fall flavors, this pumpkin sheet cake with brown butter icing is about to rock your pumpkin-spice-loving world.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
This is a wonderfully tender pumpkin sheet cake topped with that irresistible brown butter frosting. This just might be the best pumpkin cake I’ve ever tasted and quite possibly the best cake I’ve ever made. It is incredibly moist and filled with pumpkin spice flavor.
Brown Butter Icing
If you’ve never had browned butter icing, it is nutty, sweet, and almost butterscotch-like. It has a deeper toasted flavor that balances the sweetness of the cake well.
This is a warm icing that you’re going to pour over the cake as soon as you take it out of the oven. Much like the way the frosting works for this Buttermilk Cake with Caramel Frosting, the frosting will start to sink into the cake, forming an incredibly moist frosted layer that is going to make you grin as soon as you taste it.
Pumpkin + Brown Butter
You might ask why you should try brown butter icing on the cake instead of the classic cream cheese frosting, which is admittedly hard to beat. Because let’s be honest, cream cheese and pumpkin are a popular pair for a good reason – see the Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie and the Cream Cheese Frosted Pumpkin Cookies for proof positive of that perfect pairing.
That said, browned butter pairs beautifully with pumpkin. The pumpkin + brown butter combination is so irresistible, I also combine the two in this pumpkin bundt cake. Serve any of these pumpkin recipes with a cup of coffee and a splash of pumpkin spice coffee creamer for the perfect morning or afternoon break.
Pumpkin Texas Sheet Cake
Similar to a traditional Texas sheet cake, you’ll use oil instead of butter for this = pumpkin sheet cake to make it extra moist. Butter gives terrific flavor to baked goods, but oil does a better job of creating a moist cake.
And since we’re using butter in the frosting, there’s plenty of buttery flavor here without worrying about using oil in the cake itself.
Easy Cake Recipes
Looking for more cake recipes? The unforgettable tang of rich, buttermilk cake is topped with a layer of sweet caramel frosting in this Buttermilk Cake with Caramel Icing.
Gooey Butter Cake is a buttery, sweet cake with a rich cream cheese layer. It has been an instant hit with everyone who tastes it. And the Gooey Chocolate Butter Cake is another favorite for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. With only about 10 minutes of effort, you can have this cake in the oven making your house smell incredible.
Buttery, crunchy toffee and candy bar pieces are layered with whipped topping creating a dessert so deliriously rich, this Heath Bar Cake should carry a warning label.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Icing
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Icing Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Cake Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, oil, pumpkin and eggs. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just barely combined.
- Pour batter into a greased 10 x 15 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until it springs back when lightly touched.
Icing Directions
- While the cake is baking, make the frosting. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, brown the butter. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn. When browned, pour into a heat safe mixing bowl to cool.
- Add the powdered sugar to the cooled butter and beat to combine. Add the salt and enough milk to make a smooth consistency. (If the butter is still slightly warm when you add the sugar, it can get clumpy and greasy. If that happens, beat on high for several minutes until smooth.)
- Frost the cake while still warm. Cool and slice into 18 pieces.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 9/17/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/9/25}
Made this for my bf, he is OBSESSED!
That’s so cool!