Description
Brown Butter Pumpkin Sheet Cake is a moist, spiced cake topped with warm brown butter pecan frosting, perfect for feeding a crowd in one pan.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 cups (240 g) all‑purpose flour
2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp (17 g) cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground dried ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground cloves (Or substitute 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice instead of the separate spices.)
¾ tsp kosher salt
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
¼ cup (35 g) non‑fat milk powder
¾ cup (180 g) pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (165 g) sour cream
For the Frosting:
¾ cup (169 g) unsalted butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup
¼ cup whole milk or half‑and‑half
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 cups (340 g) powdered sugar, sifted if needed
½ cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and pre‑heat to 350 °F (about 175 °C). Lightly grease (or spray with non‑stick baking spray) a half‑sheet pan (18 × 13‑inch).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves (or pumpkin pie spice), and salt.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt and begin to brown the butter: allow it to melt fully, the water content to evaporate (you’ll hear crackling), then watch as the solids begin to brown lightly. Remove the pan from the heat just as browning begins. Immediately whisk in the milk powder — the butter will foam and froth, which is expected. Continue whisking for about 30 seconds until smooth and toasty. Pour this browned‑butter mixture into a medium bowl; whisk in the pumpkin puree (it may seize — that’s okay).
- Add the buttery pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and fold lightly using a rubber spatula. Then add the beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream, and fold until the batter is smooth and no hidden flour pockets remain.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared sheet‑pan and use an offset spatula (or similar) to spread it evenly from edge to edge. Bake for 18–22 minutes, rotating once during baking, until the edges are golden and the cake is firm but still has a bit of bounce.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting: In a medium saucepan (you may reuse the one from earlier, washed clean) melt and brown the butter again over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the corn syrup, milk (or half‑and‑half), vanilla extract, and salt. Then whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth and fully incorporated; finally stir in the chopped pecans.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, while it’s still warm, pour the warm frosting over the top. Use the offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly from edge to edge — you’ll want to scrape every bit of frosting from the pan so you don’t lose any of that rich topping.
- Allow the cake to set and cool for about one hour before slicing and serving (this helps the frosting firm up a bit and the slices to hold).
Notes
Brown the butter properly to deepen the flavor and add a nutty aroma.
Pour the frosting while both the cake and glaze are warm so it soaks in perfectly.
Use pumpkin pie spice for convenience, or mix your own spices for a custom flavor.
Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the cake soft and tender.
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 470 kcal
- Sugar: 42 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Protein: 5 g