Pumpkin Caramel Cake
Salted caramel pumpkin cake is delicious, decadent, and perfect for fall. It's made with a tender, moist pumpkin spice cake that's topped with a rich and creamy caramel frosting. The combination of flavors and textures is irresistible.
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Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 503kcal
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Spice Cake:
- 3 cups 360 grams all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1-1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups 400 grams white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup 100 grams packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Salted Caramel Frosting:
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter
- 2 cups 400 grams packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups 500 grams sifted powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 ounces soft cream cheese cut into quarters
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon large-flake Maldon salt for garnish
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Spice Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a bowl to remove any lumps..
- Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl beat well until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until everything is well blended.
- Divide the batter equally into the prepared pans and smooth the surface. Bake about 28 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out just barely clean. Begin checking after baking for 30 minutes.
- Set the pans on cooling racks to cool completely then run a knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes then invert them onto racks and remove the parchment paper.
For the Salted Caramel Frosting:
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes while whisking continually.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and return to a boil, whisking continually until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth and syrupy.
- Remove from the heat and carefully transfer to a mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or use an electric hand mixer.
- With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat in the cubes of cream cheese one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and fine sea salt and beat until the frosting is thick and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Chill the frosting for 30 minutes before frosting the cake.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Place one cake layer on a cake plate and spread with frosting. Stack the second layer on top and cover with frosting. Add the top layer, cover the top and sides with the caramel frosting.
- Sprinkle flakes of salt on top of the cake.
Notes
- Baking pan options and baking times: 3, 8-inch round — 30-35 minutes, 12x18 inch sheet pan —17-20 minutes, 10-inch Bundt Pan —50-55 minutes, 9x13x2-inch pan —30-35 minutes, 12 cavity muffin pan —20-25 minutes (makes 24 cupcakes)
- When sifting the dry ingredients, if you do not have a sifter, just substitute with a large mesh strainer. Set the strainer over a bowl and add the dry ingredients and stir to sift through.
- A substitute of 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice can be used in place of the nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger.
- The brown sugar can be either light or dark
- An electric hand mixer can be used if a stand mixer is not available. Some hand mixer have whisk attachments.
- Sifting the confectioners’ sugar is an important step to remove any lumps of sugar in the frosting.
- The frosting will be slightly warm, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before frosting the cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 775mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g