Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

This Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting is hands down, the best pumpkin cake recipe I’ve ever tried. It’s moist, flavorful and filled with pumpkin spice. The frosting is sweet, creamy, slightly tangy & filled with caramel for the perfect flavor combo. Make it for Thanksgiving or whenever you’re craving a delicious pumpkin dessert. I keep thinking I’ve exhausted all the varieties of pumpkin desserts – and then I realize there’s a new pumpkin recipe I need to try. And today’s the day for a delicious new pumpkin creation. Enter pumpkin and caramel. Because what could be better than flavorful, cinnamon filled pumpkin cake and sweet, slightly tangy caramel cream cheese frosting???

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil, or canola
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
6 oz cream cheese, full fat brick style
½ cup salted caramel, (see below or buy your own)
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons whipping cream, as needed

Caramel Sauce:
1 cup white sugar
⅓ cup unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
½ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Instructions:
Pumpkin Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
In a large bowl beat together the oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree until smooth.
Beat in the flour mixture about ½ at a time, turning off the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until it feels firm to the touch and inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large bowl beat the butter until smooth.
Beat in the cream cheese.
Mix in 1½ cups powdered sugar, followed by the salted caramel.
Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time until it’s the desired sweetness level you desire.
If the mixture seems too thick or too sweet, beat in 1-2 tablespoons of whipping cream.

Salted Caramel Sauce:
Add the sugar to a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly as the sugar cooks. It will first form lumps and then turn into a deep colored amber sauce.
Once it’s completely smooth – whisk in the butter until it’s fully melted.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the whipping cream
Then mix in the vanilla extract and salt.

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