A sheet cake feeds a crowd which makes it perfect for holiday entertaining. And that wide expanse of frosting leaves a lot of room for creative decorating. Go to town with sprinkles and edible glitter or piped decorations. Or leave it rustically plain and uncomplicated. Here a present an autumn-perfect version, redolent with warming spices and a rich frosting, nutty with brown butter. And it is a real winner for Thanksgiving – easy to transport, easy to serve and feeds a crowd. It was a real hit at my Thanksgiving celebration last year. There was even a leftover slice or to for the weekend!
I use a trick from savory cooking to really bring out the flavor of the spices – blooming them in warm oil. You may have done this if you make a curry dish. Mix your spices together, then warm some a neutral oil like canola just until it shimmers. Stir in the spices and the heat and fat from the oil will draw out the essential oils from the spices. Pour it out of the hot pan so it doesn’t continue cooking. The spices can burn, so watch carefully and pour everything from the pan as soon as you get a heady whiff of the spicy fragrance. I top it with a full-on frosting, not just a glaze. Thick and creamy with creamy cheese and that amazing whiff of brown butter. It complements the super flavorful cake perfectly. I topped it with some sprinkles that highlighted the autumn hues, with a touch of edible gold glitter. I love this rimmed baking pan for making sheet cakes, and it’s pretty to serve from too.
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Ingredients
- For the Cake
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ cups canola or vegetable oil
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¾ cups packed light brown sugar
1 ¼ cups whole buttermilk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- For the Frosting
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
½ teaspoon salt
4 – 4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup milk
Directions
- For the Cake
- First, bloom your spices for extra flavor. Place a heat proof measuring jug or glass bowl that will fit the oil by the stove. Stir the spices together in a small bowl. Do this first, don’t skip this step or you might burn your spices trying to add them one by one. Put the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and heat until it is shimmering and tiny bubbles form around the edges. Remove from the heat and stir in the spices. It will sizzle and bubble. When you can really smell the fragrance of the spices and the bubbling has subsided, no more than 20 seconds, pour the oil and spices into the waiting measuring jug, scraping the spices out well. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 12 by 18-inch half sheet pan with parchment, then spray it all with cooking spray.
- Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pulse the mixer a few times to blend. Add the brown sugar and pulse to combine. Measure the buttermilk in a 2-cup measure, add the eggs and beat with a fork to combine. Pour into the bowl and add the spiced oil, scraping all the spices in and add the vanilla. Beat until the batter is smooth and combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Pour into the prepared pan and spread the batter into an even layer. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 – 20 minutes (check at 15). The top should be firm and when you press gently with your fingers it should spring back.
- Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the Frosting
- Cut the butter into small pieces and place in a medium saucepan (light colored or stainless is best so you can see the butter as it browns). Heat over medium high heat, watching constantly, until the butter is melted. It will start to spit and hiss, then you will see brown speckles appear. Swirl the butter around to distribute the browned bits, and as soon as the butter has an even brown color, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Leave to cool until it solidifies to a softened butter stage. You can refrigerate it until it’s solidified, even for 3 days in advance. Afterwards, soften it on the counter or in the microwave). In a rush, you can put it in the freezer, just check it often.
- Beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt together in the mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar a cup at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the milk as needed to create a thick but easily spreadable consistency. Dollop the frosting over the top of the cake – I like to use a large cookie scoop – then use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Decorate as you will! The cake will keep covered on the counter for 2 days.
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