Description
Seasonal spice cake Pumpkin cake with caramel cream cheese frosting celebrates autumn’s warmth with rich, comforting flavors. Delicate layers of moist pumpkin cake paired with silky caramel frosting invite you to savor fall’s sweet embrace.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 15-oz (425 g) can pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 mL) vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup (240 mL) brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 mL) white sugar
- 2 cups (480 mL) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsps (10 mL) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (1.25 mL) salt
- 2 tsps (10 mL) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 oz (170 g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese
- ½ cup (120 mL) salted caramel
- 2–3 cups (240–360 g) powdered sugar
- 1–2 tbsps (15–30 mL) whipping cream
- 1 cup (240 mL) white sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup (120 mL) whipping cream
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Mixture: Sift flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl, ensuring uniform distribution of ingredients.
- Create Wet Base: Whisk oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until smooth and well-integrated, developing a rich, cohesive mixture.
- Combine Batters: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring until just combined to maintain a tender cake texture and prevent overmixing.
- Bake Cake: Pour batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan, spreading evenly, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Craft Caramel Sauce: Melt sugar in a saucepan, watching carefully as it transforms to a deep amber color, then whisk in butter, whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt to create a luscious homemade caramel.
- Prepare Frosting: Cream butter until light and fluffy, then blend in cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in powdered sugar, incorporating caramel sauce and whipping cream to achieve a silky, spreadable consistency.
- Finish and Serve: Once cake has completely cooled, lavishly spread caramel cream cheese frosting across the surface, creating an indulgent autumn-inspired dessert ready to be sliced and savored.
Notes
- Spice Selection Matters: Use fresh pumpkin pie spice for maximum flavor intensity and aromatic warmth.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure eggs, butter, and cream cheese are at room temperature to create smoother, more evenly blended mixtures.
- Moisture Management: Do not overmix batter; gentle folding prevents tough, dense cake texture and maintains delicate crumb structure.
- Caramel Caution: Watch sugar carefully during homemade caramel sauce preparation, as it can quickly transition from perfect amber to burnt in seconds.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg