Chocolate Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Almond Butter Frosting

This easy sheet cake is the perfect fall dessert. Chocolate pumpkin cake topped with almond butter frosting. And sprinkles!

I know I’ve proclaimed this on more than one occasion, but I just have to say it again just in case in honor of National Pumpkin Day. Pumpkin and chocolate is my fall version of the best combination ever, peanut butter and chocolate! This cake is an ode to this fall favorite combination and it’s just my style of cake when it comes to decorating – simple and requiring little skill.

Sure I’ve decorated a couple of cakes that I’m pretty proud of (exhibits A and B) but cake decorating tends to not be my favorite as the more intricate designs take more time than I care to wait until I can devour said cake. It all tastes the same anyway! So yes, I went ahead and very quickly slathered this cake with a layer of almond butter frosting. And okay I maybe added a couple of wrist flicks to jazz it up a bit. And sprinkles. Because sprinkles! Much more my style to go a bit heavy handed with the cake decor (exhibits C and D).

The extra special part of this cake was actually the frosting which was made with Bestie almond butter, a new product from Peanut Butter & Company. I already swoon over their peanut butter on a nearly daily basis and now they also have cashew butter and a blended almond and cashew butter in addition to the almond butter that I used here. Keep ’em coming PB & Co ;-). And make sure you enter to win a jar of your own at the bottom of this post!

One year ago: Beet Biscuits

Three years ago: Sea Salt Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups

Five years ago: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Bacon, and Apple

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN SHEET CAKE WITH ALMOND BUTTER FROSTING

Serves 24

Ingredients:

CAKE

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup milk, room temperature

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, melted

FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup Bestie almond butter

1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 11×15-inch jelly roll pan (or cookie pan with edges).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, spices, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Mix in the oil, milk, and melted chocolate. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
4. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until set and toothpick comes out clean. Place on wire rack to cool.
5. While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat butter and almond butter together until smooth. Add sugar and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar or cream to reach desired consistency.
6. When the cake is completely cool, frost and decorate as desired.

Source: Cake adapted from my Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream and frosting from Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Biscoff Frosting.
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Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary jar of Bestie almond butter from Peanut Butter & Co. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.