This decadent dessert is one I found when I was in search of some culinary inspiration. The recipe is for a Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel and Cream Cheese Frosting. I have made this as an entire cake as well as mini cupcakes for an event I catered last weekend. A little orange peel adds that layer of brightness to this cake you will not want to stop devouring.
Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel and Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 t baking soda
- 2 t baking powder
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t ground ginger
- 1/4 t ground cloves
- 1/4 t nutmeg
- 1/4 t ground allspice
- 1/4 t ground cardamom
- 1 15-oz can pure pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 t finely grated orange peel
Frosting
- 1 1-pound box powered sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup plus 1 T heavy whipping cream
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 1/4 t salt
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Directions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk together 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil in another bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate between additions. Mix in orange peel. Add flour mixture; beat on low-speed just to blend. Divide batter between prepared pans.
Bake cakes until tester comes out clean, about 33 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn top side up and cool completely.
Frosting
Sprinkle 1/2 cup powered sugar over bottom of small nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until sugar melts (do not stir). Continue cooking until sugar turns deep amber, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes or so. Carefully stir in 1/2 cup cream, vanilla, and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until any caramel bits dissolve. Stir in remaining 1 T cream. Strain into a small bowl. Cool caramel to room temperature.
Sift remaining powered sugar into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl. Gradually beat in powered sugar. Beat in cooled caramel. Cover and chill frosting until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.
Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from cakes. Place 1 cake layer on cake plate, cut side up. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Place second cake layer, cut side down atop frosting. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
Enjoy.
Xo
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit