Featured comment:
“I made this cake yesterday and it has received rave reviews. It is delicious! I made it exactly as directed and it turned out perfectly….and it’s so easy. Thank you, Sue, I think this will quickly become a family favorite!!” ~Juliana
this pecan praline pumpkin cake speaks my language
Is it talking to you too? It’s the kind of cake pumpkin dreams are made of…light and springy, with a rich golden color, touched with all my favorite fall spices — and don’t even get me started on that frosting. The cake is made in one bowl, and the frosting in one saucepan, so the cleanup is a dream. And guess what? Cover the pan with foil, set it on the counter, and the whole thing is just as good the next day. Dream cake, I’m telling you.
fall pumpkin recipes are my jam!
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
- Pumpkin Crisp
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies!
- Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins
what you’ll need for this epic pumpkin sheet cake
I love to share recipes like this with you that are utterly perfect from start to finish. The pecans, the caramel, and the spices all elevate this pumpkin cake to company status. Or make it whenever you’re charged with bringing something wonderful to a gathering.
- canned pumpkin ~ canned pumpkin puree is thicker, and more consistent than homemade puree, so I recommend using the canned product. Be sure to get pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
- granulated sugar as well as brown sugar and confectioner’s sugar ~ all three types of sugar are used in the cake and frosting.
- vegetable oil ~ any neutral vegetable oil is fine.
- unsalted butter
- large eggs
- half and half ~ you can substitute a light cream or heavy cream.
- all purpose flour
- baking soda and salt
- ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg
- pecans
- vanilla extract
This cake is simple and familiar enough that you can count on everyone loving it, but at the same time it has that wow factor.
can we talk praline frosting for a minute?
Sheesh the stuff is good. This is a classic cooked frosting, and it’s as easy as whisking together butter, brown sugar, and half and half (or light cream) in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil, and then stirring in some powdered sugar. Pour it over the cake and shower with toasted pecans. It doesn’t get any better.
TIP: The praline frosting is like caramel, and it sets up fast. Plan to have a spreading knife handy when you pour the warm frosting over the cake, and spread quickly before it firms up.
I make no apologies for my pumpkin love, and this Pecan Praline Pumpkin Cake is just one of many pumpkin-centric recipes to come. Stock your cabinets with lots of those orange cans, people, you’re going to need them!
canned pumpkin as a substitute for eggs, butter, and oil!
- 1/4 cup pumpkin = 1 egg
- 3/4 cup pumpkin = 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup pumpkin = 1/2 cup oil!
more perfect fall cakes ~
- Easy Apple Fritter Bread
- Maple Pecan Pound Cake
- Powdered Sugar Doughnut Cake
- Nyackers Gingersnap Cake
- Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
- Gingerbread Crumb Cake
- Apple Butter Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream
Praline Pumpkin Snack Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 baking pan
Ingredients
cake
- 15 ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
praline frosting
- 1/2 cup half and half or light cream
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F. Lightly spray a 9×13 pan.
- Whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs until well blended.
- Mix in the spices and salt. Fold in the flour and baking soda until everything is well incorporated, but don't over beat.
- Spread the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until done in the center and a toothpick comes out without wet batter clinging to it.
- To make the frosting, heat the half and half, butter, and brown sugar in a saucepan until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Take off the heat and beat in the vanilla and sifted confectioner's sugar. Quickly spread over the cake, the frosting will set up quickly.
- While the frosting is still soft top with toasted pecans.
Video
Notes
- Don’t skip toasting the pecans, it makes ALL the difference, it brings out the flavor and crisps the nuts. You can do it ahead of time, but don’t skip it. To toast them put the nuts in a dry skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they become fragrant and start to brown. Watch them carefully, they can burn easily.
- I love my heavy duty USA 9×13 pan for baking, it bakes perfectly evenly.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally published in 2016, and has been updated in 2021.
Love this one! Another keeper!
This cake was the hit of Fall 2020. I made it numerous times and it was a hit everywhere I took it! I’m making it this week!
So glad, Carolyn, it’s always nice to have that special pumpkin recipe to look forward to every fall!
I love this recipe–and so does every single person I have ever served it to! I take it to church dinners, family gatherings, and the local coffeehouse where I am a volunteer baker. Hands down my most requested recipe! Very easy and quick–can make it in the morning and be leaving the house with it within a couple of hours:)
Haha, LOVE that Diane 🙂
This is a terrific recipe. Easy and delicious. The praline frosting is fantastic! I had to add about an extra cup of confectioners sugar to get right consistency in the icing. I increased the pecans — I stirred 1 1/2 cups chopped toasted pecans into the icing.
Can I replace the oil with pumpkin or applesauce? How would this affect the recipe? I would like to reduce the calories.
Thanks for the feedback Nancy. I haven’t experimented with replacing the oil, but I know it works pretty well in many recipes, so it’s worth a try.
I bet this would also be good with cream cheese icing. I might have to try it both ways!!
I’m so glad you called it a snack cake! Makes it sound so easy and maybe even healthy! ; – ) It certainly was delicious. I made a 1/2 recipe in an 8″ x 8″ pan . . . worked great! One thing I was confused about was if you put the praline glaze on while the cake is hot from the oven or after it’s cooled. I looked at your source, Chef-in-Training, and saw that some cooling was needed. Terrific recipe!
I think something not right with the frosting. I make your banana blondies, and the frosting is perfect with them. I think the amount of half and half is wrong here. Should be 1/4 c…..then it’s the same ratio of liquid to powdered sugar as the blondies. So I just kept adding more powdered sugar…
The cake looks yummy. Will have tomorrow for a birthday celebration
I made this cake tonight. The cake is light moist and delicious. The Praline topping didn’t work well. It is grainy and not thick enough for me. The recipe said the bring the topping to a boil, I think next time I would boil it for a minute or 2 to dissolve the brown sugar and make it more like caramel. The sugar didn’t dissolve fully and tasted grainy. But I would definitely try it again with a couple adjustments.
This cake definitely speaks my language too. It’s so moist and flavorful. Love the pecan topping.
Sue, you never disappoint me and my family. Thank you!