Pumpkin Spiced Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

A spiced pumpkin sheet cake with a vanilla cream cheese icing perfect for sharing!

This was the only pumpkin I got to make this year and whilst I'm sad I didn't get to make more, this cake was crowd-pleaser so I know you will just love this recipe. as much as I love a layered cake, when you don't have as much time about being precious with the looks of a dessert, a sheet cake is much easier; a simple cake, then spread on some icing and you're good to go. If you're looking for a prettier cake, be sure to check out my pumpkin spiced layer cake for more of an occasion. The pumpkin makes this cake so moist and the spices marry perfectly with the tangy icing. Hopefully next year I can create more pumpkin recipes for you, but for now enjoy this cake :)

If you love pumpkin and cakes....

Check out my other recipes for more inspiration!

• Pumpkin Spiced Layer Cake
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Pancakes

Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Serves: 12-16

Notes

• If you have leftover icing you can copy the pumpkins I did by colouring some orange and some brown then pipe with a small star tip and a small round tip for the stem. I followed an image on google!
• most rectangle baking trays are measured 9x13 inches but mine was a little smaller. You can use your tray but the cake might be slightly thinner.
• I suggest making your own pumpkin purée if you are not able to find a can. There are lots of easy recipes online just make sure your puree is well drained as you do not want the excess water. 
• Make this cake vegan by using dairy free butter and cream cheese. 

Ingredients

Cake

• 300g self-raising flour
• 160g light brown sugar
• 100g demerara sugar
• 4g bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2g salt
• 300g pumpkin purée
• 175g butter, melted
• 120ml soya milk + 10ml apple cider vinegar

Icing

• 165g cream cheese
• 140g butter 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 500g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170℃ and grease and line a rectangle baking tray - mine measured 8 x 11 inches 
2. In a jug mix together the soya milk and apple cider vinegar and leave for 5 minutes to create a 'buttermilk'.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the sugars and butter then whisk in the pumpkin purée and the 'buttermilk'.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices. 
5. Gently stir in the dry ingredients into the wet and then spoon the batter into the prepared baking tray.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.
7. Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack before spreading on the icing as it will melt. 
8. Make the icing. In a standing mixer or with an electric whisk, beat the butter until smooth. Then mix in the cream cheese and vanilla until combined.
9. Gradually add in the icing sugar to the desired sweetness. I like to refrigerate my icing for an hour so it thickens a little. 
10. Spread the icing on the cake then serve. Best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Christina

xx

Salted Caramel Loaf Cake

Homemade salted caramel to use in a delicious loaf cake topped with buttercream!

I often found myself putting off the idea of a salted caramel loaf cake with salted caramel buttercream because there's a lot of people I know who would consider it too sickly. They're probably partially right, caramel is quite sickly because of how sweet it is and when you consider the double whammy of a caramel cake AND buttercream perhaps they have a point. But then I think 'to heck with that!', if I want a salted caramel loaf cake then I shall make one! So a long-story short, I made one and it was incredible and I gave a lot of it to my friend who is caramel-obsessed - my favourite kind of person. I needed to make sure this cake was perfectly moist, you do not want a dry caramel cake. And I believe I mastered it. Plus stirring through the caramel into the buttercream to make it even more silky smooth is the cherry on top. I did contemplate topping the cake with some popcorn or fudge like I have seen others do, but I really just wanted the caramel to be the hero of this recipe. 

If you love loaf cakes and salted caramel....

Check out my other recipes for more inspiration!

• Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes
• Millionaires Shortbread Tart

Recipe

Prep: 1 hour

Cook: 50 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Notes

• I highly recommend making the salted caramel yourself if you feel confident enough. It's very rewarding when it goes right and it will taste even better fresh. 
• If you do not have time or can't make the caramel, any store bought will do. 
• The salted caramel needs to be cooled before you can use it in the buttercream otherwise it could split.

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sauce

• 240ml double cream
• 225g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tsp water
• 1 tsp flaked sea salt

Cake

• 300ml soya milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 75ml vegetable oil
• 300g self-raising flour
• 200g light brown sugar
• 50g demerara sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbsp salted caramel sauce
• Pinch of salt

Buttercream

• 125g butter
• 250g icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp salted caramel sauce + more on top 

Method

1. Make the salted caramel first to allow it to cool. Pour the water into a saucepan and then pour the caster sugar on top. 
2. Place on the hob on a gentle heat for about 5 minutes - without stirring!
3. The sugar needs to dissolve into the water but cannot be stirred as it can make the sugar crystallise. To help the sugar dissolve you can swirl the saucepan but very gently. 
4. The water will start to evaporate and the sugar will start to brown with tiny bubbles on the surface.
5. When it gets to a deep amber colour you can remove the saucepan from the heat.
6. Gradually and carefully pour the cream into the saucepan whilst constantly stirring. It will steam and bubble up but eventually will stop.
7. Sprinkle in the sea salt and stir well.
8. Ideally pour the salted caramel into a sterilised jar to help it cool down before you use and leave at room temperature. 
9. Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 170℃ and grease and line a loaf cake tin.
10. Mix together the soya milk and apple cider vinegar to create a 'buttermilk'.
11. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and vegetable oil. 
12. Stir in the 'buttermilk' and the salted caramel sauce. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt then stir this into the wet ingredients ensuring there aren't any lumps.
13. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 50 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly you can place some foil over the cake for the last 10 minutes. 
14. Once baked, leave to cool completely in the tin. 
15. Make the buttercream. Beat the butter with an electric handheld whisk or in a standing mixer until pale and fluffy and spreadable.
16. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, making sure to scrape in and around the bowl so that the sugar is mixed throughly into the butter.
17. Add the caramel and mix.
18. Once the cake is cool, pipe or spread the buttercream on top then drizzle with more of the salted caramel sauce.
19. Place in the fridge to set the buttercream, about 30 minutes or serve straight away. Best stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Christina

xx