This is the best pumpkin cake you will ever try. It is a three-layer beauty made up of tender and flavorful pumpkin cake paired with a delicious cinnamon buttercream frosting. Pecans are the ideal crunchy complement, and the addition of a caramel drizzle is perfection — exactly what’s needed for an impressive finish. This cake is simple to put together even for a beginner.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 10 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- One 15-ounce can pumpkin pie mix
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, or more if needed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, or more if needed
- One 7-ounce container pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
- Place the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
- Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely on the wire rack, about 1 hour.
- For the cinnamon buttercream: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer on a slow speed, carefully add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time until combined, followed by the vanilla and cinnamon. Add the heavy cream a little at a time. (If you need a thicker frosting, add more confectioners’ sugar; if you need a thinner consistency, add in more heavy cream.)
- Place a cooled cake layer on a cake stand. (This recipe should yield very level cake layers, but if your layers are domed, level them before assembling.) Cover with about 1/2 cup buttercream. Scatter 1/3 cup of chopped pecan over the top.
- Repeat with the next layer of cake, covering with 1/2 cup buttercream and 1/3 cup chopped pecans. Place the final layer of cake on top.
- Place the remaining buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip (such as #362). Pipe out a design on the top of the cake (the sides will be left “naked”).
- Sprinkle the remaining pecans over the top, then drizzle the cake with caramel sauce. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 722 |
| Total Fat | 33 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 103 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 57 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 108 mg |
| Sodium | 364 mg |
Reviews
This is simply a beautiful recipe, delicious! I prepared it in a rectangle cake pan , I chopped pecans and sprinkled on top before baking. Baking time was adjusted to 40 minutes. No frosting , I served it with a dollop of whip cream and garnished with a sprinkle of cinnamon. So good!!
Wonderful recipe, but using AP flour makes a dense cake. For a lighter, fluffier cake, I would recommend using cake flour.
It was a very moist and pumpkiny cake! Definitely making again.. should toast the pecans first though