Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Sheet Cake

5 from 1 vote

This sheet cake is about to blow your mind! My Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Sheet Cake is simply perfect for your Holiday Dessert table, packed with sweet cinnamon cake and pumpkin flavors.

baked sheet cake

Sheet Cake

You are in for such a treat with my festive pumpkin cake recipe! Making a cinnamon roll recipe might be some of my favorite desserts ever. If you love cinnamon rolls, I think you are going to love my simple “perfect for Thanksgiving” texas sheet cake recipe!

Don’t let the cake mix in the recipe scare you away. I assure you, no one will know this is a jazzed up cake mix recipe. It is gooey and tastes just like a sweet pumpkin cinnamon roll in square cake form.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • One of the easiest most delicious cakes you’ll make!
  • It starts with a cake mix, no one will ever guess.
  • The cinnamon roll flavors have people coming back for more!

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ingredients for pumpkin sheet cake

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious sheet cake recipe. See the recipe card located at the bottom of the post for full details and instructions.

  • yellow cake mix– Head to the baking section of the grocery store and pick out a yellow cake mix.
  • large eggs– When selecting eggs, use large eggs for consistency. That’s what I’ll use for all of my recipes to keep consistent.
  • canola oil– Canola or vegetable oil works just fine. Keeps the cake moist and soft.
  • milk or buttermilk– 2% milk works great or buttermilk added to the cake batter.
  • sour cream– Sour cream may sound like an odd cake ingredient, but it adds to the cake’s soft texture.
  • heavy whipping cream– Heavy whipping cream is found in the dairy department near the milk. It also helps keep the cake moist and soft.
  • pumpkin puree– When looking for pumpkin puree, make sure you don’t get the canned pumpkin pie filling. They’ll be sold close to each other. Get canned pure pumpkin puree.
  • instant vanilla pudding mix– Make sure your pudding box says instant vanilla pudding. Not the box you have to cook first.
  • butter, I use salted– Salted or unsalted butter works just fine for this recipe. Just make sure you don’t get margarine.
  • brown sugar– I use light brown sugar for this recipe. You’ll notice there’s light and dark brown sugar available.
  • ground cinnamon– Ground cinnamon is found in the spice section of your grocery store. It’s a popular spice in Fall baking. Very aromatic and delicious with pumpkin.
  • powdered sugar– Powdered sugar is also referred to as confectioners sugar, it’s used to make the icing.

What is a Sheet Cake?

Sheet cakes are simple, one-layer, frosted cakes that are often prepared for celebrations that involve a dozen or more participants. This type of cake has become a popular option for birthday parties, celebrations in the workplace, and family reunions and anniversaries.

How To Make Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Preheat Oven To 350 Degrees F. and spray a half sheet size baking pan (13 x 18 x 1) with non stick cooking spray.

Add Cake Ingredients To Stand Mixer. Place cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, pudding, sour cream and pumpkin into a stand mixer or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Prepare Cinnamon Roll Mixture. Place butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt, about 30-40 seconds. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until combined. Drizzle mixture evenly over cake then take a knife and run it through to swirl.

baking pumpkin sheet cake in oven

Bake. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through and remove.

What Size Pan Do I Use?

I prefer the half sheet size. A half-sheet cake is typically baked in a 12-inch-by-16-inch pan, but may also be made in a 11-inch-by-15-inch pan. A half sheet typically feeds 40 people. It can be sliced into 32 2-inch-by-3-inch slices or 48 2-inch-by-2-inch pieces.

drizzling icing over pumpkin sheet cake

Prepare Icing. Place powdered sugar and cream into a large bowl and mix until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over warm cake then let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares. Refrigerate if not serving same day.  Enjoy with milk!

baked pumpkin sheet cake

Try serving the sheet cake warm with a small dollop of vanilla ice cream too.

sheet cake

How To Serve

Serve sheet cake for dessert at any occasion. It’s particularly perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Can be served warm, room temperature or even chilled.

How To Store Leftovers

Refrigerate. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Try More Sheet Cake Recipes!

sheet cake
5 from 1 vote

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake

This Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake is the perfect dessert for your Thanksgiving Dinner!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 321kcal
Author: Jenny
Cost: $15
Print Pin Rate

Equipment

  • Oven
  • mixing bowl or stand mixer
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • half sheet pan
  • butter knife for swirling cake batter

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup milk, or buttermilk
  • 3.4 ounce box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 15 ounce can pumpkin
  • 1 stick 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream start w 1/4 cup and add a little more cream if needed

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a half sheet size baking pan (13 x 18 x 1) with non stick cooking spray.
  • Place cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, pudding, sour cream and pumpkin into a stand mixer or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
  • Place butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt, about 30-40 seconds. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until combined. Drizzle mixture evenly over cake then take a knife and run it through to swirl.
  • Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through and remove. Place powdered sugar and cream into a large bowl and mix until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over warm cake then let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares. Refrigerate if not serving same day.  Enjoy with milk!

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 4305IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Keywords: baking, cake, cake mix, cinnamon roll, cinnamon roll pumpkin sheet cake, dessert, holiday, pumpkin, sheet cake, thanksgiving

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photo collage of sheet cake

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236 Responses
  1. Anne

    Oh my my my my my…this is simply divine! I visited my daughter and family last week and made it for them. We couldn’t get enough and it was even better the next morning. A definite keeper. Thanks for another fabulous recipe!

  2. Becky

    this cake is sooo delish. I made it this past weekend for my future father-in-law and I think that a cake this good was a sure fire way to his heart! Thanks!

  3. Carly

    Hey Kim,

    My icing ended up sort of being absorbed into the cake rather than act as a topping. Still tasted good, but not as pretty. Did I drizzle it too early?

    Carly

  4. Alisa M

    I found this on Pinterest and I have been dying to make it. I finally made it today and it is delicious!!! And surprisingly easy too! My family is going to love it. 🙂

  5. ACR

    I made this for a bunch of kids and was worried about their reaction…they each had 2 servings! It was a HUGE hit!

  6. Michele

    Um…I just stumbled upon your site – first it was the Pumpkin Toffee Rolo cookies, then some yummy chicken stew, then…then THIS!!! I think you have a new fan!!!! This, and soooo many other things, look just too good! Wow! Thanks for the great recipes! Can’t wait to start making them!

  7. Christiana

    This looks soooo delicious! I was wondering if this can still be made without an electronic mixer and still taste as good??

  8. Christiana

    This looks soooo delicious! I LOVE pumpkin and cinnamon! However I don’t have an electric mixer cause I’m a poor college student.. can this still be made without one and still taste awesome?!

  9. Janet

    Just made this and I used a half sheet pan if that helps any of the other commenters. Jen, mine turned out good but the base has almost a rubbery texture and does not look like yours. Do you think I beat the batter too much? It does still taste good but I expected a different texture….thanks for your blog. I always enjoy it!

  10. Lauren Patchett

    I tried this two weeks ago and it was a huge hit! The second cake went in two days. Definitely a keeper! Thanks! 🙂

  11. Carly

    Hi! Any tips for us starving students without electric mixers?

    This looks amazing I would LOVE to bring it to my friend’s Thanksgiving Potluck on Friday.

  12. Szkent

    I am also wondering what size jelly roll pan you used as they come in different dimensions. Thanks I cannot wait to try this!

  13. debbie

    Hi ! This looks fabulous and I can’t wait to make it. I am not sure if my pan is the right size. Could you give me the measurements of the pan. Thanks for all of the recipes, I love them!

  14. Dawn deAbreu

    My friend made 2 pans of this dessert and gave one to my family! We loved it and I’m making it for dinner this Sunday with 22 family members- who will all love it as well. It takes on more of the pudding texture when served cold and a cobbler when warmed. I put a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top and served warm – yum!

  15. Dena

    I made this this morning for work…….. OH MY! I had countless rave reviews and requests for the recipe. It is divine! And it was easy! Pumpkin flavor is not strong.

  16. Tiffany

    These are so yummy! I would compare them to bread pudding. It’s not too sweet either.. despite all the yummy ingredients! I made them for a halloween happy hour and they were the hit of the party! I will be passing on your site to all of them.

  17. Hannah

    So incredibly easy and good! Just baked this and now I am trying to figure out how to get it out of the house so I don’t eat it all! Delicious!

  18. Christina

    These are to die for! I will definitely keep this in my favorite baking recipes, since my husband and I couldn’t get enough of it! It paired well with coffee in the morning, too. Thank you for sharing your awesomeness!

  19. Hannah

    Thanks so much for the great recipe. I think this should be called “Crack Cake”. Just made it and can’t stop cutting off another little piece after another to eat!! Definitely making this for Thanksgiving.

  20. Carla

    Just made this on Thursday!! It was absolutely amazing! And such a simple recipe to make! Everyone loved it, said it was their new favorite dessert! Thanks so much 🙂

  21. Larissa

    Made this last night – yummy!! I didn’t use a cake mix – used 2 cups flour and 1 tblsp baking powder and sub’d butter for the oil. Worked out well.
    Thanks for the good recipe!

  22. Lori Peterson

    These are incredible! I have already made 2 batches with requests for more! Yummy! Thank you for sharing!

  23. Sharnee Epley

    I just made these, AMAZING! Next time, I’m going to add pumpkin pie spice to the cake mix too. Thanks Jenny!

  24. kate

    I made this it was very good, but I hate cooking with boxes of chemicals- cake mix and pudding. I’s rather make it from scratch.

  25. Lindsay

    I made this tonight but had to substitute the pumpkin with strawberry jam and applesauce. It turned out so well! Thank you for the recipe! It is delicious!!!

    Oh, and I also added peanut butter to the glaze. Changed my life. lol

  26. Linzie

    I made this last night for a dinner party I had and Oh my goodness was it good! Not one person left without wanting this recipe! I used the buttermilk and LOVE the way it turned out♥ Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe 😀

  27. Terry

    This is sooooo good. I made it this weekend to try before Thanksgiving. Will definitely make it for the whole family when they come!

  28. Aubrie

    I could NOT stop thinking about these ever since I saw your post on Thursday! I made them on Saturday with just a couple of changes (I browned the butter before adding the brown sugar, doubled the cinnamon, and added 1/2 tsp. of vanilla to the glaze). They were seriously amazing, I could not get enough! I took them to a Halloween party and they were devoured! Thanks for the awesome recipe.

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