Caramel Cream Cheese Pumpkin Layer Cake

Three layers of pumpkin cake layered with a silky smooth salted caramel cream cheese frosting! So moist, perfectly spiced, and absolutely delicious. This is the best pumpkin cake I have ever made!

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Oh, how I love pumpkin season! Made this cake for my 30th birthday last week and decorated it with buttercream flowers. It was so good and so pretty! Definitely the best pumpkin layer cake I’ve ever made so far. The cakes itself are made with butternut pumpkin pure, which is my favorite squash. Then, the frosting is a combination of cream cheese and salted caramel. Oh my, cream cheese! who doesn’t love cream cheese right? It’s even better because it’s salted caramel cream cheese. I love this cake so much, and I hope you’ll give this cake a try as soon as possible!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe >

Ingredients Needed & Notes >

Equipment You’ll Need >

Step By Step Instructions >

Baking Tips >

Serving & Storage >

Recipe Card >

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

• Easier to make than you might think.
• The texture is so soft and moist.
• Perfectly sweet, not too much, and perfectly spiced.
• You can use your favorite pumpkin puree!
• It’s layered with caramel cream cheese!
• So perfect for the fall to winter season, but they’re also great all year round.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES

Flour – No need fancy flour, you’ll just need all-purpose flour!

Leavening Agent – You’ll need baking powder and baking soda to make the cake.

Salt – This will do the job of balancing out the flavor.

Spices – This recipe uses ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg.

Sugar – Three types of sugar are used in this recipe. You’ll need confectioners’ sugar to make the frosting and you’ll need granulated sugar and light brown sugar to make the cake. You can also use dark brown sugar, it works too!

Butter – You can use either salted or unsalted butter. I prefer unsalted butter because I don’t want my cake to taste too salty. If you use salted butter, I recommend skipping the salt.

Cream Cheese – I recommend full-fat cream cheese for the best-tasting cream cheese frosting.

Eggs – Check your egg size. Make sure they’re large eggs.

Vanilla – A little bit of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.

Pumpkin Puree – I use homemade butternut pumpkin pure. You can use your favorite pumpkin to make this cake. Canned pumpkin puree works too!

Salted Caramel – You can use homemade or store-bought salted caramel. I definitely make my own salted caramel. Check this post if you want to make your own salted caramel!

EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

1. Three 6-inch round cake pans
2. Electric mixer (stand mixer or a hand-held mixer)
3. Rubber spatula
4. Offset spatula
5. Parchment paper

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

(Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions)

STEP 1 – Make the Pumpkin Cake

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or grease with butter. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together until well combined. Set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl using a handheld mixer, combine the browned butter, vanilla extract, and sugars on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Then slowly add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix everything until just combined, do not overwork the cake batter.

Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, then bake the cakes for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Then, Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

STEP 2 – Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

If you decide to make your own caramel sauce, you’ll need to make this first and allow the caramel sauce to cool completely. It will thicken as it cools.

First thing first, make sure your cream cheese and butter are soft, at room temperature. In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer speed to medium-low speed and slowly pour the caramel sauce. Then, add in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. Beat everything on medium-low speed for about a minute. Frosting should be soft and creamy, not runny.

STEP 3 – Assemble the Cake

Level off each cake to remove any doming, so the top of your cake is flat and even.
Place one cake onto your serving plate, then spread an even layer of salted caramel cream cheese frosting and swirl 1 – 2 tablespoons of salted caramel over the frosting. Place the second cake on top and repeat this layering process one more time. Then cover the top and side of your cake with the remaining salted caramel cream cheese frosting.

Chill the cake in the fridge for about 2 hours before decorating or serving. You can decorate it with fresh flowers, buttercream flowers, or just plain. Enjoy the cake!

To make the American Buttercream for decorating:
In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter, salt, and vanilla extract at a medium-low speed until smooth and creamy, about 2- 3 minutes.
Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon whole milk. Mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter. Scrap the bowl occasionally, then increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy. Adjust the consistency with milk as needed.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

1. Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Room-temperature ingredients blend easily and incorporate together to create a smooth batter without chunks of cold butter or flecks of eggs.
2. Measure flour correctly. When measuring the flour with cups, make sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. Do not scoop and pack the flour. By doing this, you will yield too much flour and make the dough dry. A kitchen scale is the best option, it’s so much more accurate than cup measurements, that’s why I always write the recipe with grams. 1 cup flour = 125 grams.
3. Keep your eyes on the cake while baking. Think of baking times just as suggestions, because every oven is different! The temperature can vary greatly, even when you set it to the same temperature as in the recipe.

HOW TO SERVE AND STORE THIS CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

This cake makes about 8 to 10 slices. You can enjoy it cold straight from the fridge or at room temperature.

TO STORE AND FREEZE UNFROSTED CARROT CAKE:

Allow the cake to cool completely.
Wrap each cake tightly with 2 layers of plastic wrap. You can store the cakes at room temperature overnight, or in the fridge for up to 3 days
To freeze the cake, place each cake in a freezer storage bag and place them on a flat part of your freezer. Freeze for up to 2 months.

TO STORE FROSTED CAKE:

Place the leftover cake in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want to freeze this cake for later, I recommend cutting it into individual slices. Wrap each slice with layers of plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe container. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Send me a message or write a comment below.
Also, be sure to snap a picture and tag me on your social media posts with #thejobaker
Happy Baking!