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Mini Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
5 from 114 votes

Mini Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Mini Pumpkin Sheet Cake features a moist pumpkin-spiced cake baked in an 8x8 pan, topped with a rich brown butter frosting. The cake uses pumpkin puree and warm spices, while the frosting combines browned butter, powdered sugar, salt, and cream for a nutty flavor. The served size is suitable for small gatherings or individual portions.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 557 kcal
Course: Dessert, Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Mini Pumpkin Cake:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 egg large
  • 6 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brown Butter Frosting:
  • 3/4 cup butter 1/4 cup of the butter needs to be room temperature, unsalted
  • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

To Make the Pumpkin Cake:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line an 8x8-inch cake pan. Set it aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, neutral oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. You really just don’t want to see any speckles of flour. I like to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure there aren’t any bits of flour hiding.
  4. Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan and place in the oven for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then invert onto a cooling rack and cool until it’s room temperature. It’ll probably take a full hour.
To Make the Frosting:
  1. If you’ll notice in the recipe it calls for the butter to be divided. We’re going to brown 1/2 cup of unsalted butter. You can go ahead and place 1/4 cup of unsalted butter into the stand-up mixer (or a medium bowl). We want this to be room temperature.
  2. In a small saucepan, set over medium heat, add the 1/2 cup of butter. Once it’s melted, it will begin to foam up and bubble a bit. Allow it to cook until you begin to see lightly browned specks beginning to form. Give it a stir and cook until it’s browned. You should also start to smell its nutty aroma. Remove it from the pan and continue to stir to cool it down.
  3. Transfer it to a small bowl (freezer-safe) and place it in the freezer to chill, for about 10 to 15 minutes. We want it to be around room temperature butter. After it gets to that room temperature butter-firmness (it can be a bit softer—that’s ok), transfer it to the bowl with the other room temperature butter.
  4. Sift in the powdered sugar and add the vanilla extract, salt and heavy cream. Beat the frosting for about 3 minutes. The fluffiness from the heavy cream really lightens up this frosting so be sure to beat it for the full 3 minutes.
To Assemble the Cake:
  1. Pour all of the frosting on the cooled sheet cake and spread it around, creating cute swoops as you go. Top it with some sprinkles and cut it up and slice! Cake will stay moist for about 3 days when wrapped properly.

Notes

  • Use appropriate baking and piping tools for best results, including an 8x8-inch pan and small round Wilton tips for pumpkin decorations.
  • You can make the cake ahead by baking, cooling, and wrapping in plastic; store frosting refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
  • Bring refrigerated frosting to room temperature and rebeat before spreading for smooth application.

Nutrition Information

Serving 6g Calories 557kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 85g (28%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 24g (37%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Cholesterol 64mg (21%) Sodium 294mg (12%) Potassium 197mg (4%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 66g (132%) Vitamin A 7101IU (142%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 59mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 557

% Daily Value*

Serving 6g
Calories 557kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 85g 28%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 24g 37%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 294mg 12%
Potassium 197mg 4%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 66g 132%
Vitamin A 7101IU 142%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 59mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.