Pumpkin & Caramel Cake with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

Pumpkin & Caramel Cake:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

6 eggs

¾ cup canned pumpkin

½ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

   

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare 2 9-inch layer cake pans (butter and line with parchment). 
As you can see, I made cupcakes from this batter.

Sift the sifted flour and baking powder together. Then cream the butter and sugars together and add the eggs, one at a time, mix well after each egg. In a small bowl, pour the cream into the pumpkin and then stir in the vanilla. Add in the flour mixture, a little at a time, alternately with the pumpkin mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir well after each addition, but do not beat. Pour the batter into prepared cake pans. Bake in a preheated 325° oven until the cakes spring back when lightly touched (about 35ish minutes). While you are waiting for the cakes to cool, you can prepare the frosting and the syrup.

So for the frosting, I will give you a nice recipe to complement the cake, but it is not my signature buttercream—that is top secret. To get the same buttercream, you have to buy it from me. For the cupcakes I made, I didn’t use any spices in the cake or in the frosting because I will be posting a recipe for another pumpkin cake next week that uses cinnamon, nutmeg, clove (all the fall stuff). 

Pumpkin & Orange Buttercream:
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temp
1/3 c. pumpkin puree
2 Tbs orange juice
1/2 tsp orange extract
1 tsp vanilla or brandy
1/2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbs. meringue powder

Cream the butter with the pumpkin. Slowly add sugar until the buttercream holds together (it will separate from the pumpkin at first). Add the juice and extracts/liqueurs and the meringue powder. Add more sugar if needed. Frosting should be piping consistency so that it holds up at room temperature. 

Syrup (oh so important!!)
To make the syrup, use about 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1/2 cup of corn syrup, and 1/2 cup orange juice, bring to a simmer and let reduce. Then add a little triple sec (1 Tbs) and stir. Set aside and let cool.

When the cupcakes or cake has cooled, poke each cake (or the layers) with a fork, and brush the syrup over the layers. If you are torting the cake, use a knife or a leveler to cut the cake first, and brush the layers as you are building the cake. The fork poking really gets the syrup into the cake and keeps it soooo delicious even a few days after you make it!

 

I like to always fill my cupcakes with a filling (either a filling I make extra or the frosting I am using). In this case, I used the frosting to fill them.

Stay tuned for more fun pumpkin recipes. Two weddings coming next weekend! xo