Pumpkin Sheet Cake

I really enjoyed Halloween last year. My family didn't do much with the holiday growing up. We lived way out in the country and I only remember someone coming to the door for candy once! But last year was Jack's first Halloween, and one of our first in our new home. My sister was living with us at the time and she was really the impetus behind getting Jack dressed up. We decided on a lumberjack costume, dressing him up in a flannel shirt, carhartts, a beanie hat and an axe made out of a toilet paper tube and tin foil. And to complete the look, a scruffy little beard fashioned out of mascara on my sweet ten-month old's face. 

He was so cute. 

And totally clueless. All he knew was that people were smiling at him as he hit Daddy on the head with his mini axe. And we enjoyed it so much, getting out and about, meeting neighbors we'd never met or had just waved across the street to as they passed by. 

This year Jack will be a Jackrabbit. (yes, we're going with the Jack theme as long as he'll allow me!) Some gray clothes, a cotton tail, paper ears, whiskers and a carrot will hopefully come together to make the cutest little jackrabbit on the block!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This recipe is from a good friend, who found it on this blog. She made it for care group one night and I raved about it so much that she left me a few pieces in the fridge. The cake is moist and pumpkin-y and the frosting is richly decadent. A perfect treat to snack on while little jackrabbits come begging for candy at your door!

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Makes one 11 x 17 pan

Cake

2 cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

pinch of salt

4 eggs

1 cup oil

2 1/4 cups sugar

2 cups (a 15 oz. can) of pumpkin

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

5 T. butter, softened

2 T. milk

1 1/2 T. vanilla

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat 4 eggs.

Whisk in oil and sugar.

Whisk in the pumpkin too.

Then add the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until combined.

Pour into a well-greased half sheet pan (11x17) and bake for 22 - 28 minutes at 350 degrees, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Obviously, I didn't use a sheet pan. I decided to try a 9 x 13. It worked fine, I just had to cook it longer, 30 - 40 minutes. However, I think I would prefer the ratio of cake to frosting better if cooked in a sheet pan. So, your choice!

While cake is cooling, make your frosting.

Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together with a handheld mixer.

Add the milk, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar and beat until combined.

If your frosting seems too thick or too runny, you can add more milk or more sugar, respectively.

Once cake has completely cooled, frost it with the icing you made.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

Recipe from A Southern Fairy Tale.