Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A moist pumpkin spice cake with brown sugar cream cheese frosting and salted caramel.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil can substitute coconut oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup milk
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6-8 cups powder sugar
Salted Caramel
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- With whisk attachment, beat together butter, oil, and sugars on medium low speed until fluffy and light in color.
- Turn mixer down to low and add in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
- Add in pumpkin puree and mix until mostly combined. Mixture will look separated and not homogenous.
- Add in dry ingredients, turn on mixer low, and slowly drizzle in milk. Mix until a few dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
- Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing batter.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Cake is done when it is golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- With paddle attachment, cream butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar until fluffy and light in color.
- Add powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, and vanilla extract. Let mix on low speed for a couple minutes between each addiction to full incorporate sugar.
Salted Caramel
- Add 1 cup white granulated sugar to a heavy bottom sauce pan on medium-low heat. Stir continuously until every last bit of sugar is fully melted. This may take about 5 minutes, and don't stop stirring, or sugar will burn.
- Stir in butter. Be careful because mixture will splatter and boil up at this point.
- Once butter is melted, remove from heat, and whisk in heavy cream. Once again, it will splatter and boil up.
- Stir in salt and allow to cool.
Notes
- Batter is enough to make 2 7” round cakes, 2 ½ 6” round cakes, or one 9x13 inch rectangular cake.
- Spray baking pans with non-stick spray, and line bottom with parchment paper so cake can be easily removed from pans.
- Caramel will last in the refrigerator for 1 week.
- Assembled cake will keep best in the refrigerator, and will last for up to 5 days.