Spray your pan with cooking spray, and then lightly flour it.
Mix your dry ingredients all together well.
In a mixing bowl combine the oil, applesauce, eggs, sugar, pumpkin and vanilla and lightly beat. Then add the dry ingredients mixture and mix well.
Pour into your greased and floured pan, and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes depending on whether you use a 9 x 18 baking dish or a bundt cake pan.
The bundt cake pan takes longer than the baking dish. You can use the toothpick method inserted to test the doneness. My bundt cake took almost 45 minutes but I imagine a sheet version would be closer to 30.
Let cool in the pan for a few minutes if making the bundt cake, and then invert onto a cake plate.
I used my favorite trick for super easy frosting and decorating. I simply take a large heaping serving spoon size of frosting and barely melt it in the microwave in a microwave safe dish, probably for 10 seconds or less, you don’t want it too runny, and then drizzle it over the cake.