I am as basic as they come. Especially when it comes to all things fall – give me all the pumpkins! So when our friend brought over this GORGEOUS pumpkin cake, you know I was all about it. I can take no credit in the baking, but I can validate that its taste rivals it’s presentation. This is a must for all of your fall gatherings. And don’t forget to try out our other pumpkin favorites while you’re here.
Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups pureed pumpkin
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1.5 lbs powdered sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Caramel sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 heavy cream
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salted Pecans
- 1.5 cups chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp butter
- sea salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- Cream pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs together.
- Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Mix until ingredients are moistened, and then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Prepare two 9" pans by greasing and flouring.
- Divide the pumpkin mixture equally between pans.
- Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out. Cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar.
- Add vanilla and salt.
- Beat until fluffy.
Caramel Sauce
- In a heavy sauce pan bring sugar and water to boil over medium heat. Do not stir.
- While the sugar mixture is boiling until amber in color (10-12 minutes), warm the cream.
- When the mixture reaches desired color, slowly whisk in warmed cream (BE CAREFUL!).
- Continue to whisk over heat until smooth. Pull from heat and whisk in butter and salt.
Salted Pecans
- Over medium heat begin melting butter. Add pecans and stir until covered and toasted. Salt to taste.
Cake Assembly
- Begin assembling cake. I split my cake layers in half to have four layers.
- Cake, cream frosting, salted pecans. REPEAT until the final layer.
- Frost the top smooth.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Then pour caramel on top – might need to thin with more cream – let drip over the edges.
- Use pecans as garnish
What’s your favorite pumpkin recipe?
