Description
Irresistible pumpkin cake celebrates autumn’s warmth with rich spices and creamy caramel cream cheese frosting. Sweet layers promise comfort and indulgence, inviting you to savor seasonal deliciousness in every delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Cake Ingredients:
Main Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) vanilla extract
- 1 15-ounce (425 grams) can pumpkin puree
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- ½ cup (120 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 ounces (170 grams) full-fat brick-style cream cheese
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) salted caramel
- 2–3 cups (240–360 grams) powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 milliliters) whipping cream
Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) white sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) whipping cream
Instructions
- Craft a pumpkin cake foundation by meticulously blending dry ingredients – flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing vessel.
- Create a silky wet mixture by vigorously whipping oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until thoroughly integrated and smooth.
- Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into the wet blend, folding gently to maintain a consistent texture and preventing lumps from forming.
- Transfer the velvety batter into a prepared 9×13 inch baking pan, ensuring even distribution.
- Roast the cake in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 35-40 minutes, monitoring for a firm surface and clean toothpick test.
- Allow the cake to cool completely, creating a perfect canvas for frosting.
- For the frosting, whip softened butter until achieving a creamy, light consistency.
- Integrate cream cheese into the butter, blending until uniformly smooth and free of lumps.
- Gradually introduce powdered sugar, mixing in stages to develop a luxurious, silky frosting texture.
- Fold salted caramel sauce into the cream cheese mixture, creating a rich, decadent flavor profile.
- Adjust frosting consistency by adding whipping cream if needed, ensuring spreadability.
- For homemade caramel sauce, melt sugar carefully, watching it transform from clumpy to amber-hued liquid.
- Incorporate butter, whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt into the caramel, creating a complex, layered sauce.
- Generously spread the caramel cream cheese frosting across the cooled cake, ensuring complete coverage.
- Slice, serve, and indulge in this luxurious autumnal dessert.
Notes
- This indulgent pumpkin cake combines warm autumn spices with a rich, creamy caramel cream cheese frosting for a decadent dessert experience.
- Perfectly moist and flavorful, the cake uses pumpkin puree and a blend of brown and white sugars to create a tender, deeply satisfying texture.
- Homemade salted caramel sauce adds a luxurious layer of complexity, transforming a simple cake into an extraordinary treat that will impress family and friends.
- The cream cheese frosting strikes a beautiful balance between sweet and tangy, complementing the earthy pumpkin flavors with its smooth, silky consistency.
- Prepare the cake ahead of time, as it tastes even better after the flavors have melded together, making it an ideal make-ahead dessert for holiday gatherings.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, allowing the flavors to continue developing and intensifying.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg