Pumpkin Caramel Cake

4.94 from 32 ratings

Pumpkin Caramel Cake

This pumpkin caramel cake is moist, tender, and absolutely delicious! It's made with pumpkin cake layers, fluffy cream cheese buttercream, and buttery caramel.

Prep Time45

Cook Time35

Additional Time1

Total Time2 20

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 632kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Caramel (for the filling & frosting)

2 cups granulated sugar 400g
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 170g
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 120g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g

Pumpkin Cake Layers

3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
3 cups granulated sugar 600g
2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 9g
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger 5g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg 3g
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
2/3 cup pumpkin puree 163g
1/2 cup carton egg whites or 4 large egg whites, room temperature 120g
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature 360g
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 28g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 5g
orange gel food coloring (optional)

Spiced Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 339g
1 cup (8 oz.) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature 226g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
6 cups powdered sugar 750g
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup caramel filling, room temperature (made above) 160g

Decorations

Flaky sea salt, for decorating, optional

Instructions

Caramel Filling

Make the caramel first, because it needs time to cool and thicken before it's used to fill the cake. Making caramel from scratch might seem a little intimidating, but I promise it's easier than you'd think!
Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Once the heavy-bottomed saucepan has warmed up, pour in 2 cups of sugar gradually, adding 1/4 cup at a time. Wait until the sugar is mostly liquefied, then add in the next bit of sugar. As the sugar melts, it will slowly deepen in color. If you see large chunks of sugar form, try to break them up with a rubber spatula to help them melt down fully. If you feel like the sugar is burning during this process, remove the pan from the element and turn down the heat a bit.
Stir as needed, and let the heat melt the sugar until it's fully dissolved and an amber color. Turn off the heat.
Slowly mix in 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of butter, a few Tablespoons at a time. Stir until each addition of butter is fully incorporated before adding the next bit. Then stir in 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 tsp salt. The mixture will be very thin but will thicken as it cools.
Pour the caramel into a separate container and set aside to cool. If you make this in advance, cover the caramel and store it in the fridge for up to a month.

Pumpkin Cake Layers

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line three 8-inch round pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick cooking spray or homemade cake release.
Mix 3 cups flour, 3 cups sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp fine salt, and 3/4 tsp nutmeg together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.
Gradually mix 1 cup of room-temperature unsalted butter into the dry ingredients at a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks like moist sand.
Mix in 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (no need to blot or pat it with a paper towel in this recipe) and 1/2 cup egg whites on low until just incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
Then mix in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and a small squirt of orange gel food coloring (optional) on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula one more time, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is properly mixed together. This also helps lighten the texture of the cake layers.
Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans (about 630g per pan if you make 3 layers). Bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pans halfway through to help them bake evenly.
Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the edges. Place the pans in the freezer for 30 minutes to speed up the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers.
These cake layers bake up pretty flat, but I like to use a serrated knife to level the tops and remove any caramelization around the sides of the layers. This step is optional but makes the cake a lot easier to frost. You can also trim the layers, then wrap and freeze them if you're making them in advance.
If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 15 minutes before making the cake. The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble the cake.

Spiced Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the spiced caramel cream cheese frosting.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter and 1 cup of cream cheese on a medium-high speed for 2 minutes with a stand mixer and paddle attachment or hand mixer until smooth. Make sure the cream cheese is fully incorporated. The mixture should get slightly lighter in color as it mixes.
Mix in 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt on low speed. Then, gradually mix in 6 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg on low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Add 1/2 cup of room-temperature caramel (made above) and mix on low speed for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thin, add in more powdered sugar (a quarter of a cup at a time). Cover the buttercream flush with plastic wrap to prevent crusting, then set aside. If you don't plan to use it immediately, store the frosting in the fridge.

Assembling This Pumpkin Caramel Cake

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Spread an even layer of frosting on top of each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
I recommend placing about 1 cup of frosting in a piping bag or large freezer bag and piping a border around the edge of the cake to keep the caramel in place. I didn't do this in the photos above, and the caramel definitely tried to seep out.
The caramel at this point should have thickened but still be fluid enough to scoop or drizzle. Use a large spoon to drizzle about 1/2 of the remaining caramel (after you've already used some to make the frosting) on top of the cream cheese frosting. Chill the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes or the fridge for 20 minutes to help the frosting between the layers firm up before adding the next cake layer.
Repeat with the next cake layer. Flip the top cake layer upside down to make the cake easier to frost and minimize crumbing. Once the layers are stacked, chill the cake one more time in the freezer for 10 minutes or the fridge for 20 minutes to prevent the layers from sliding.
Then cover the chilled cake with a thick layer of frosting. Create a textured pattern in the frosting with the back of a spoon or a large offset spatula, then top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and enjoy.

Notes

If you need to make any substitutions or swaps in this recipe, please see the section in the post above on ingredient substitutions.

Recipe Variations

One batch of cake batter makes about 1900 grams or 10 cups. If you make 3 layers, add 630 grams to each pan.

While I usually make 3 8-inch cake layers, this recipe can also be used to make 4 6-inch cake layers, but they will take a few minutes longer to bake.

This recipe can also be used to make a caramel pumpkin sheet cake! One batch will make 2 9 x 13-inch cake layers that are about 1 inch tall.

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350°F/175°C. I recommend using heating cores if you have them to help large cake layers like this bake more evenly and quickly.

You can also make one 9 x 13-inch cake layer that's about 2 inches tall, but the bake time will be 45-55 minutes at 350°F/175°C.

Tips for Making the Best Caramel Pumpkin Layer Cake

Ingredients that should be at room temperature mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make the cake layers bake up to the same height and bake more evenly.
Level the room-temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
Make sure the buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give the cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes them so much easier to stack and frost!
If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might've gone awry.

Making this Pumpkin Caramel Layer Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

Make these cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

The caramel can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

The frosting can also be made ahead of time, or you can save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to a month. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist, and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition