A sure crowd-pleaser, this is one of the EASIEST and yummiest gluten-free desserts ever! It requires just 1 bowl and 10 minutes to prep.... and each time yields the yummiest cake with an amazing moist, soft & fluffy texture! No one will guess it's Gluten-Free! Plus, the cream cheese frosting is unreal!
New! I just added a cooking video on this page so you can see how easy it is to make this gluten-free Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
If you’re new to the website, there is a printable recipe with exact measurements and directions at the bottom of every recipe page.
Hope you love it!
Original post…
On the hunt for an easy gluten-free dessert that is a sure crowd pleaser? Search no further!
This Pumpkin Sheet Cake with cream cheese frosting is beyond!
Backstory… A few years ago I was at a friend’s house the night before Thanksgiving while she was whipping up 2 full sheet pans of this cake for a large Thanksgiving gathering she was going to the next day.
She said she makes this every year and both sheet pans always disappear!
Before the evening was over, I was holding the recipe in hand and couldn’t wait to try it with my favorite gluten-free all purpose flour, GF Jules (affiliate link).
In case you’re new here, you should know we are huge fans of GF Jules flour (affiliate link) because it was the first gluten-free flour we discovered when my son was first diagnosed with celiac disease (over 9 years ago) that allowed us to make our favorite gluten-based recipes by simply substituting the flour. We never looked back.
So you may have noticed that we are now an affiliate for GFJules. To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.
Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.
And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!
Back to the gluten-free Pumpkin Sheet Cake…
It is always a hit and it is one of the easiest gluten-free desserts ever to make.
Literally place all the ingredients in a bowl, mix and spread into a rimmed baking sheet and bake.
The frosting is a classic cream cheese frosting that spreads easily and is beyond yummy.
All you need is 8 ingredients:
gluten-free flour (we used GF Jules, affiliate link)
sugar
canned pumpkin
canola oil
baking soda
cinnamon
salt
eggs
Everything mixes up in minutes in one bowl.
Isn’t the batter such a pretty color?
Then you pour the batter onto a greased, rimmed baking sheet and bake.
The frosting is a classic and easy cream cheese frosting made with 4 ingredients:
butter
cream cheese
powdered sugar
vanilla.
After the cake cools, you simply spread smooth and creamy frosting on to the cake.
If I were serving this at a party or event, I would have spread the frosting to the edges but I wanted you to see the pumpkin cake beneath.
Serve as is or sprinkle with colored sprinkles to make festive for Halloween or Thanksgiving.
Perfect as a non-candy Halloween treat, party or Thanksgiving dessert or just a simple treat any day of the week!
I have served this at family dinners, brought it to teacher’s lunches and made it for friends… it is always a hit!
Pro Tip: The recipe can be easily halved and made in a half size rimmed baking sheet, as I have done here and it comfortably serves 10-12.
Whatever size you make, just be sure to save a slice for yourself… it vanishes quickly!
Want a slice?
Hope you love it as much as we do!
PIN it!
Scroll down for recipe and leave a comment if you try.
A sure crowdpleaser, this is one of the easiest and yummiest desserts ever! The cake is moist, has a great soft texture, a subtle pumpkin flavor and it's topped with a creamy, decadent cream cheese frosting. Recipe halves well and can be made in a half-rimmed baking sheet to serve approximately 10-12 people. Original recipe from a friend, adapted to be gluten-free.
45 thoughts on “Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting”
I love this cake! So easy to make and great flavor. I added some allspice and clove to add to the warmth of the cinnamon, but it would be just as delicious as is. And using the sheet pan makes it quick to bake and easy to serve. Will definitely make again!
Hi… The recipe is written for a full size baking sheet. But I often cut it in half and make a half size baking sheet (approximately 14.5 inches by 10 inches). Depends on how many people you are feeding. The half size baking sheet feeds 10-12. Let me know how you like it.
They should work! I haven’t used either so I would use whichever you love more. Ideally it should have xanthan gum (which acts as the “gluten”)… it not, add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum. Let me know how you like it!
LOVE this recipe!! I watched you make this on Instagram stories and I had all the ingredients, so I decided to give it a try. So glad I did! This recipe is so EASY and tastes DELICIOUS! This will definitely be on repeat. Every recipe I have tried from your website has been good. Now, everyday, I am like…”wonder what Karen @healthygffamily is making today”. Thanks for all you do!
Aw, thank you SO much Melissa! You just made my day! And so happy you love this as much as we do and are enjoying watching me make things on Instagram Stories!:)
We LOVE this cake! So easy to make and a great one for little helpers in the kitchen! My two year old helped out and was so proud of how it turned out. I also couldn’t keep his little fingers out of the frosting. It’s just so tasty and perfect for the Fall and holiday season!
My 12 year old son and I made this today. It was great and will feed a crowd! We used coconut oil that we melted instead of the Canola oil and it worked great!
This recipe was delicious! So good and moist, perfect amount of sweetness with the frosting. I made a half batch and used a 9×13 pyrex since my half sheet pan was not the right size.
This cake is so delicious that my family ate half of it before it was even frosted! It comes together so easily. I would recommend this cake for any occasion.
Loved this! Used duck eggs for egg free(chicken egg free) and used coconut oil melted for the butter to make dairy free. Made it twice in 3 weeks! Sooo good!
Great question… all purpose flour isn’t generally interchangeable with other flours and I’ve never made this cake with anything else so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Love your recipes! This has been my go to dessert for parties this time of year. Super easy to make. Everyone always comments on how moist and yummy these are and no one can tell they are gluten free. ?
I have made this twice using gf flour (Bob’s Red Mill) that does not contain xanthum gum (I have an allergy to it). It takes about 12-15 minutes extra to bake, but it turns out super fluffy and, of course, very yummy! This is my go-to cake recipe. My entire family loves it!
I haven’t but it is a very forgiving recipe… 2 rounds should work well (just not sure how tall each cake will be) as should a bundt pan… As for baking, I would use the same oven temperature and check after 20 minutes with a toothpick or knife and then decide how much longer they need to bake. Lmk if you make it
I have come to love this recipe…so easy and so delicious! I make it for my students at work and no one knows it’s gf! I also made a vegan version for my co-worker and it worked out very well!!
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
I love this cake! So easy to make and great flavor. I added some allspice and clove to add to the warmth of the cinnamon, but it would be just as delicious as is. And using the sheet pan makes it quick to bake and easy to serve. Will definitely make again!
Yay! So happy you love it too Jerilyn! Additional spices are a great add. And yes, the sheet pan makes it perfect for serving a crowd!
Thanks for the yummy dessert recipe. Made it last night and it was a hit!
Yay! So glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Do you think melted butter would be okay to substitute for the canola oil?
I’d like to make this for Thanksgiving tomorrow. What size sheet pan works best for the recipe?
Hi… The recipe is written for a full size baking sheet. But I often cut it in half and make a half size baking sheet (approximately 14.5 inches by 10 inches). Depends on how many people you are feeding. The half size baking sheet feeds 10-12. Let me know how you like it.
You suggest GF Jules Flour, but I have Bobs Red Mill and Better Batter on hand. Do you think those will work as well?
They should work! I haven’t used either so I would use whichever you love more. Ideally it should have xanthan gum (which acts as the “gluten”)… it not, add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum. Let me know how you like it!
LOVE this recipe!! I watched you make this on Instagram stories and I had all the ingredients, so I decided to give it a try. So glad I did! This recipe is so EASY and tastes DELICIOUS! This will definitely be on repeat. Every recipe I have tried from your website has been good. Now, everyday, I am like…”wonder what Karen @healthygffamily is making today”. Thanks for all you do!
Aw, thank you SO much Melissa! You just made my day! And so happy you love this as much as we do and are enjoying watching me make things on Instagram Stories!:)
We LOVE this cake! So easy to make and a great one for little helpers in the kitchen! My two year old helped out and was so proud of how it turned out. I also couldn’t keep his little fingers out of the frosting. It’s just so tasty and perfect for the Fall and holiday season!
Thank you! Such a great cake for a young child to help out with! Glad you all had fun and love it!
Made the cake this weekend for a dinner with my extended family. It was a hit! Thanks so much!
Great! So happy you all loved it!
My 12 year old son and I made this today. It was great and will feed a crowd! We used coconut oil that we melted instead of the Canola oil and it worked great!
Great substitution! Thanks for sharing! And so happy you love it!
I baked these as cupcakes!! Baked for 18 mins and they are delicious !!!
Brillant! Love this! Thanks so much for sharing!
Any chance you took a photo? If so, can you DM me on Instagram? I’d love to share to stories! 🙂
This recipe was delicious! So good and moist, perfect amount of sweetness with the frosting. I made a half batch and used a 9×13 pyrex since my half sheet pan was not the right size.
Great pan swap! So happy it worked out and you love it too! Thanks!
This cake is so delicious that my family ate half of it before it was even frosted! It comes together so easily. I would recommend this cake for any occasion.
Ha! Love it! And so happy you love it as much as we do! Thank you!
Delicious! My family loved this cake with frosting and without!
Loved this! Used duck eggs for egg free(chicken egg free) and used coconut oil melted for the butter to make dairy free. Made it twice in 3 weeks! Sooo good!
Love it! It is a favorite of ours too!
Hi! Can I use GF oat flour or coconut flour?
Great question… all purpose flour isn’t generally interchangeable with other flours and I’ve never made this cake with anything else so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Love your recipes! This has been my go to dessert for parties this time of year. Super easy to make. Everyone always comments on how moist and yummy these are and no one can tell they are gluten free. ?
Thank you so much Wendy! Happy you love this cake as much as we do!
I have made this twice using gf flour (Bob’s Red Mill) that does not contain xanthum gum (I have an allergy to it). It takes about 12-15 minutes extra to bake, but it turns out super fluffy and, of course, very yummy! This is my go-to cake recipe. My entire family loves it!
Thanks for sharing Nikki! Happy you love this cakes as much as we do!
I have made this almost exact recipe prior to becoming GF but it had baking powder in it as well. Yours doesn’t require it?
Nope! This recipe calls for baking soda only!
Does anyone have any thoughts on baking this in any other kind of pan? Like a bundt pan or two rounds?
I haven’t but it is a very forgiving recipe… 2 rounds should work well (just not sure how tall each cake will be) as should a bundt pan… As for baking, I would use the same oven temperature and check after 20 minutes with a toothpick or knife and then decide how much longer they need to bake. Lmk if you make it
Id like to make this but we aren’t gluten free here, can I use all purpose flour instead of the gluten free flour?
Yes! The original recipe was not gluten-free so it works great with regular all purpose flour. Hope you love it!
I have come to love this recipe…so easy and so delicious! I make it for my students at work and no one knows it’s gf! I also made a vegan version for my co-worker and it worked out very well!!
Thank you!! So happy you love it as much as we do! And happy everyone you serve it to enjoys it! What dairy-free cream cheese do you use?
I used vegan cream cheese alternative from Trader Joe’s…it has good flavor!
This cake is amazing!!!!
Thank you!! Happy you love it!
I made this for a work potluck and it was DELICIOUS! No one knew it was gluten free until I told them! Love your recipes!
*I used KAF with xanthum gum