Moist pumpkin sheet cake with a crunchy buttery pecan topping for your dessert table. This pumpkin cake is unlike any other with a deep bold and nutty flavor thanks to the browned butter.
Have more pumpkins in your kitchen? try this amazing chocolate pumpkin cake or maybe take a look at this pumpkin bundt with cream cheese. Both are fabulous addition to your recipe book and so easy to make.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
A pumpkin sheet cake that tastes actually like pumpkins and not overly sweet. To make this happen we will need to hold back on spices a bit so cinnamon is enough so not to get that burning sensation from overly cpiced pumpkin and let the pumpkin flavor shine through.
To boost the pumpkin cake with nutty, butterscotch flavor I've used browned butter. To balance the sweetness of the cake I've also made a browned butter toffee flavored pecan-butter glaze for an ultimate buttery experience.
📝 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Try using unsweetened pumpkin puree but if you cannot find it you might want to decrees the sugar a bit. You can also use butternut squash.
- Cinnamon is used to spice up this cake which I find to be the most suitable.
- Brown sugar is used for flavor and a bit of chewiness.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Brown the butter by heating gently over low heat in a light colored pan until it melts completely.
- Keep stirring or swirling the pan so the butter will heat evenly. You will notice that the milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pan ans starts browning. When the butter turns amber brown color and it will smell heavenly buttery.
- Pour immediately in a heat proof bowl then place in an ice bath to cool and harden a bit.
- In a deep bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
- In another bowl, combine buttermilk and pumpkin puree.
- By this time, you'll notice that the butter has solidified a bit.
- Cream the butter in your mixer bowl, then add sugars then cream once more.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat.
- gradually add the dry mixture and mix.
- Mix in the pumpkin mixture.
- Pour into a 13x9 oven pan lined with parchment paper, level the surface. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Make the toasted pecans by melting the butter, then toast the pecan, add the brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Make the nutty buttery awesome browned butter glaze by browning the butter as before. Remove pan from heat add sugar and heavy cream, stirring quickly with a whisk. Return mixture to low flame until bubbles and thickens. Set aside to cool down for almost 15-20 minutes.
- When the cake and the butter sauce have cooled down, pour the sauce over then sprinkle the toasted pecans on top.
💡 Expert Tips
- Cut the butter into squares to ensure even heating.
- Use a light-colored pan to brown the butter especially if you are a newbie.
- You can use pumpkin spice or any spices you like, just do not be tempted to use too much so you will not overwhelm the pumpkin flavor.
- This cake can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days and can be frozen for up to a month.
Sweet and moist but it also packs a toasty, nutty punch. It is amazing how simply changing one ingredient elevates the flavor that much. You need this cake in your life, trust me. Do not be intimidated by the many steps of this cake, the resulting cake worth your time.
📣 Related Recipes
- This rich and decadent chocolate pumpkin cake is so chocolaty on the outside with a surprise silky pumpkin center.
- Try the classic pumpkin pie with an easier twist using phyllo dough.
- Do not throw those nutritious pumpkin seeds and roast them in the oven with these spices for an exotic roasted pumpkin seeds snack.
- Try this fall favorite apple cream cheese bundt, so full of apples and all the fall smell.
- A fall favorite pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese frosting and decorated with fall colors. This one is a keeper.
- A dreamy, creamy, no bake dessert. A simple combination of coffee, cocoa, and mascarpone cheese. Tiramisu is a fabulous Italian layered dessert that is perfect for entertaining.
- Caramel Tres Leches is a decadent and delicious Turkish cake that combines the rich flavors of caramel, milk, and spongy cake. Great for the holidays parties, potlucks or for an unusual after dinner treat.
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Pecan Pumpkin Cake
Equipment
- 1 13x9 Baking pan
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup white sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree
- ½ cup buttermilk
For salted toasted pecan:
- ½ cup pecans coarsely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon butter
For the browned butter glaze:
- 6 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a light colored saucepan over low heat , add butter .Butter will melt, then foam , then the foam will start to go away. keep stirring frequently.
- Brown flecks will start to form at the bottom. Once they're golden brown , and the butter smells nutty, remove pan from the heat.
- Pour immediately into a heatproof bowl or a measuring cup.
- Set the bowl in an ice water bath until the butter begins to set around the edge, about 15 minutes.
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Remove the bowl from the ice water and scrape up the hardened butter. Transfer the butter to the bowl of a standing mixer and beat until creamy.
- Add both sugars and beat with the butter until creamy. Add eggs one at a time mixing in between.
- Gradually add flour mixture and mix well.
- In another medium bowl, combine together the pumpkin puree and buttermilk.
- Stir in the pumpkin mixture until well combined.
- Pour the batter in a 13x9 baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. When done take it out leave it in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the glaze:
- In a small light colored saucepan, melt butter over low heat as before and wait for it to turn golden brown.
- Remove pan from heat add sugar and heavy cream, stirring with a whisk.
- Return the pan to the stove top and stir for another 3-4minute or so until the sugar is dissolved completely and the mixture thickens a bit.
- Let the sauce cool down for about 20 minutes.
Make the toasted pecan:
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter then add pecans, stir until starting to toast.
- Add sugar and stir until sugar starts to caramelizes coating all pecans.
- When the cake and the glaze have cooled down, pour glaze over cake and sprinkle with toasted caramelized pecans.
Video
Notes
- Cut the butter into squares to ensure even heating.
- Use a light-colored pan to brown the butter especially if you are a newbie.
- You can use pumpkin spice or any spices you like, just do not be tempted to use too much so you will not overwhelm the pumpkin flavor.
- Storage: This cake can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days and can be frozen for up to a month.
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
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First published Oct 4, 2017. Last updated August 18, 2022 with new recipe, step by step instructions and readability.
Will
There is only one thing I see wrong with this recipe and I thought i was missing something. You have all the ingredients broken down to what you need when and where. For the cake you have buttermilk listed, but not the whipping cream. In step 4 of the cake making, it says to mix in cream, how much whipping cream do I add?
Amira
Will, Oh boy I meant cream the sugar with the butter .. you are right the way I word it is confusing I will fix it. Thanks
Gina
This cake looks great. Though I am not a huge pumpkin person other than a piece of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, I am intrigued to try this. And even more than that, I am so excited to know how morta is made! I remember my aunt would make it when we'd visit Egypt in the summer and the house would smell amazing! And the taste is something else. I knew it had to do with boiling butter, but I guess I never paid attention to exactly which part of it was the morta. I think I thought it was the foamy part that floats to the top. I've never made ghee at home, but I must do it now. 🙂 So I guess ghee is just what is called in Egypt "samna baladi" ? Now I will know to try this and to scrape the delicious morta from the bottom of the pan. Thank you!
Amira
Aaaah Gina, morta is the love of my life :))). Samna safra actually is this type of ghee. Samn baladi is the one that is made with white butter that comes from buffalo but the yellow butter- like the one we have here in the US- is from cow. I do not like samn balady a lot, I've always prefered the one made with the yellow butter even when we were living in Egypt. Thanks for the comment and I hope to see you here more often.
Karen
Your cake with the brown butter glaze must be absolutely moist and delicious.
Amira
It is super delicious, Karen. I hope you'll try it soon.