This pumpkin cake recipe is none like you’ve had before. It’s fluffy, moist, and perfectly spiced with a salted caramel filling and a browned butter cream cheese frosting.
What makes this pumpkin cake WONDERFUL?
The word Wonderful, according to Merriam webster is defined as “exciting” and “unusually good”. And they are absolutely correct. This cake is exciting and unusually good. You cut the cake open and you see the salted caramel filling ooze out of the cake. The browned butter cream cheese frosting creates a nuttiness that just takes the cake to another level.
Pumpkin Cake filled with Salted Caramel and Frosted with a Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
It’s pretty much complex. But I promise it’s worth all the extra work. You will WOW yourself for making it, your family, your guest, coworkers whoever they will love you for making this cake.
I don’t know about you but every time I’ve tried a pumpkin cake it’s always been extremely moist but also dense. And while I don’t mind, I was just searching for a fluffier cake recipe that wouldn’t feel so heavy when you take a bite.
If you’re looking for the perfect, fall cake to bake give this recipe a try! I promise you won’t be disappointed. It’s a define crowd please with or without the caramel filling and browned butter frosting.
Key Ingredient Components:
Cake Flour: Do not substitute with all-purpose flour. The texture of the cake will not be light and fluffy.
Pumpkin Puree: Only pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. I prefer and use only Libbys.
Browned Butter: The browned butter just creates deeper notes of flavor. You can skip out on this step and just use regular butter.
Salted Caramel: Making caramel from scratch is so fun. It’s a learning curve but if you don’t have time store-bought is fine too.
How to make Pumpkin Cake:
Make the Cake:
- The cake is the simple part!
- Mix wet Ingredients
- Combine all dry ingredients
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
- Mix, bake and cool
Salted Caramel Filling
- Here is a link for a detailed recipe: Salted Caramel Recipe
Browned Butter Cream cheese frosting:
- Brown the Butter
- Let it Cool
- Whip the butter, add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until light and fluffy.
Cake Assembly:
- Trim
- Stack, Fill
- Crumb coat
- Final Coating
Pumpkin Cake Decor
- The pumpkin decorations are made from 2 simple ingredients. White chocolate and heavy cream. Mix the two ingredients to form a dough, color it, and then mold it into little pumpkins with the help of a toothpick and a mini chocolate chip.
Planning Ahead:
The Brown Butter can be made ahead and cooled down to solidify.
Bake cake layers at least one day ahead of time and wrap.
Make salted Caramel and refrigerate for easier cake assembly.
Pumpkin decor can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I use different cake size pans?
- I used 3-6x2in cake pans. If you use 8in or 9in definitely check the timer after 20 minutes.
Can I use storebought caramel?
- Yes of course! The caramel will be my runny and you made have a harder time decorating it.
How can I store leftovers?
- What! You had leftovers? JK. Tightly saran wrap the cake and place it in the fridge or store in an airtight container. I also like to cut slices wrap in parchment paper and saran wrap slices individually and freeze. Refrigeration kills the moisture in cakes.
Can I skip out on the salted caramel and browned butter?
- Yes, you can skip out on one or both. But this labor of love will be worth it if you have the time.
The Most WONDERFUL Pumpkin Cake recipe
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 2 1/4 cup cake Flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 lb unsalted butter browned
- 8oz cream cheese softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
Salted Caramel
- 1/2 -3/4 cup Salted Caramel
Pumpkin Decor
- 1 bag White chocolate chips 11 ounces
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream
- 10 -15 Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Pumpkin cake
- In a stand mixer add both sugars, oil, pumpkin puree, vanilla, eggs, and sour cream and thoroughly mix until combined.
- In another large-sized bowl add the remaining ingredients and whisk to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Add all the dry ingredients at once into the wet batter and mix until just combined.
- Line 3-6in rounds with parchment paper and evenly distribute the cake batter.
- Bake at 350℉ for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool and then wrap the cakes until ready for use.
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium-sized saucepan melt the butter on medium heat until it's fully melted.
- Once the butter has melted you will begin to hear crackling noises. The butter will start browning around the edges of the pan. Take a heat-safe spatula and mix around the bottom of the pan making sure not to burn the milk fats.
- The butter will be a light amber color and the milk solids will just slightly be a brown color, the butter should smell nutty. Take the saucepan off the heat and allow it to cool. Once cooled transfer the browned butter into a bowl and refrigerate to allow the butter to solidify.
- In a stand mixer add in the cooled browned butter and whip for 5 minutes until fluffy and light. Add in the softened cream cheese and continue to whip on medium-low speed until mixed and smoothed. Add in the powdered sugar slowly and mix until fluffy and light.
Pumpkin Decor
- In a medium bowl pour in the white chocolate chips.
- Heat up the heavy cream in a small saucepan and then pour the heavy cream over the chips and cover with saran wrap. After 5 minutes stir the ingredients together. The texture should be thick like dough. If the texture is too watery then let it cool down until it's easier to work with.
- Divide the white chocolate dough into 3 small bowls depending on what colors you want your pumpkins.
- Place a small amount of gel food coloring and mix the dough really well to get the color all mixed it.
- Roll the ball into the desired size of the pumpkin. Try to roll the ball as smooth as you can. Take a toothpick and indent the sides of the pumpkin. Gently push down on the middle of the ball to create a rounder flatter pumpkin look and then place a mini chocolate chip on top to replicate the stem.
- This step can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.
Assemble:
- Cut and level the top of the cakes.
- Add the frosting to a large piping tip or ziploc bag for a cleaner and easier assemlbly.
- Begin with a layer of cake on either a large plate or cake stand making sure the cake is cut side up.
- Pipe the frosting on the outer edges of the cake and then fill the inside with the caramel filling.
- Repeat this step one more time and then place the last layer on top making sure the bottom side of the cake is on the top. This will ensure the cake won't be lopsided.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes. This will help firm up the frosting and the caramel to reduce the cake from sliding while frosting.
- Once the cake is firm coat the outside of the cake with a thin layer of frosting and then chill the cake again until the frosting has set.
- Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream and then place the pumpkins on the cake.
Recently in my kitchen recipes:
