Yield: 8-12 servings
Pumpkin Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
A perfectly textured pumpkin cake with a cream cheese and salted caramel frosting: perfection!
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
Frosting:
- 1 cup of salted caramel sauce (still hot)
- 1 pound cream cheese, cut into 2-inch cubes (2 8 oz blocks)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (optional, see note)
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1¼ cups light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup whole milk
- Extra salted caramel sauce for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- Transfer hot caramel to a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat at low speed until the caramel cools slightly and comes together, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on, beat in the cream cheese, 1 cube at a time and beating well between additions, until silky.
- Taste the frosing. If you'd like to add additional sweetness see note below *
- Transfer the frosting to a bowl and refrigerate until very firm. (this took about 90 minutes in the freezer for me, but you can also chill in the fridge for several hours.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and eggs at medium-high speed until frothy and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the oil, then the pumpkin puree. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk in 3 batches, starting and ending with the flour, mixing until just combined. (Don't overmix!)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans.*
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350F , until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cakes, then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place one layer of cake on a cake plate and layer with the frosting and cake. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce. Repeat with all 3 layers.
Notes
Re: the frosting and sweetness. I have always found this frosting to be perfectly sweet, but some readers have commented it's not sweet enough for them. Taste it and if you'd like, add a little powdered sugar. I'd start with 1/2 cup and go from there.
*I chose to weigh my pans before baking to make sure they were all filled equally, but this is optional!
One batch of my Salted Caramel Sauce should be enough for the frosting and a little extra to drizzle on top!