The BEST Pumpkin Spice Caramel Cake Recipe

What a great way to begin a cooking channel! At a time when we all want to share good times and sweet treats with the ones we love, here’s one you’ll remember! And it can be sized up or down depending on how many people you want to treat, but if you have a crowd, well, this will make them all happy!​

Another good thing about this cake is that it uses a bunch of techniques that you might not get to try every day. Not only is the cake extra moist and flavorful because of the pumpkin and all the spices, but you’ll get to make a caramel. Caramel is an adventure in itself. The techniques used to make it are unique and challenging, but oh, what you get when you’re done!

I’ve given you a few hints in the video about how to make this cake successfully, and they’re not difficult, but they sure make the going easier. One of the most important is to make sure that, unlike most icing recipes, you don’t bring your butter to room temperature. In this recipe, it’s the butter’s job to keep the frosting cool enough so that, when it’s done, it’s stiff enough to pipe. Otherwise, the cream cheese in the icing will make it droopy. Controlling the temperature of the icing as you’re working with it makes a big difference. When you want it stiffer, it should go into the refrigerator. If you want it softer, like to make the softer hay bale ends you see on the video, it should be less cold.

​And remember to freeze your cake layers before you trim and assemble them! It makes all the difference!

Recipe

Charli Ann’s Pumpkin Caramel Cake

Makes 2 ‘Hay Bales’ 9 x 6 1/2 x 5, 3 layers each

Ingredients:
​
Caramel:

• 1 c. heavy whipping cream
• 2 c. sugar
• 2Tb. Corn syrup
• ½ c. water
• 6 Tb unsalted butter, cut into Tb-sized pieces
• 1-½  tsp. Salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Candied Pecans:

• 4 c. pecans
• ½ c. light brown sugar
• 4 Tb. unsalted butter
• 4 Tb. water
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon

Caramel Cream Cheese Icing:

• 6 sticks unsalted butter, cold
• 24 oz. (3 pkg) cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 c. powdered sugar
• ¼ to ⅓ c. caramel (from above recipe)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt

Cake:
To make all six layers, you will need 3  9x13 pans.

• 6 c. flour
• 6 c. sugar
• 2 Tb. cinnamon
• 1 Tb. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 2 Tb. baking soda
• 12 eggs
• 3 c. vegetable oil
• 6 c. plain pumpkin puree

Begin with the caramel.
Warm the cream in the microwave just a little, 10 or 15 seconds. 
Get a good, heavy bottomed saucepan and pour sugar, water, and corn syrup into it. Turn on medium high heat and stir just until dissolved. Once dissolved, stop stirring! Let it bubble until it starts to turn a honey brown. Watch constantly at this point and remove from heat once the syrup is a dark honey color.  Immediately and slowly, stir in the cream. Remember, caramel is super hot! Don’t get splattered! The mixture will bubble and steam, but that’s totally normal. When cream is fully incorporated, Stir in salt, vanilla, and all of the butter. Stir well and set aside in a bowl to cool to room temperature. Do not refrigerate.

Now, the nuts.
Add pecans, brown sugar, water, and butter into a heavy bottomed saucepan. At medium high heat, stir until nuts are fully coated and the water is mostly evaporated. (Nuts should look like they have a thin layer of caramel on them).  Remove from heat and sprinkle in most of the salt (save a dash for later). Add in cinnamon and mix until fully coated. Line a baking sheet with silicone sheet or parchment paper and pour nuts into the pan. Set aside to cool.

And then...the Icing.
Beat the COLD butter with the paddle attachment until soft and smooth. Add cream cheese until mixed, but still thick. (mixture should cling to a spatula without movement). Scrape down the bowl and add half the powdered sugar. Mix just until incorporated. Add caramel and mix until just combined. Add most of the rest of the powdered sugar (you can save some out for later if you want it sweeter), vanilla, and salt. Mix until just combined and switch to whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until fluffy, about 2-5 min. DO NOT overwhip or it will just deflate and you will have soft cream cheese instead of icing). Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

And the cake:

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9x13 pans. If you use a ½ sheet pan like I mention in the video, each one will make two 9x13 cakes. Each 9x13 cake will eventually be cut in two.

Be aware that your mixer will not hold more than 1 cake at a time, so you will be mixing the same cake three times, one for each 9x13 cake.

Mix  2 c. flour, 2 c. sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and 2 tsp baking soda with paddle attachment in your mixer. Mix in 4 eggs and 1 c. oil until just combined. This will be very thick. Mix in 2 c. pumpkin and fill one of the pans with the batter. 

Bake for 45 min to an hour. Cool, remove from pan, and partially freeze. Repeat two more times. 

Assembly (the exciting part):

Cut out two cake boards 8-½” x 6-¼”. Use them as templates to trim each 9x13 cake into two pieces. Use one of the cut cake boards as a bottom and fasten to a turntable with tape or a dollop of icing. Spread a little icing over the cake board and lay on the first layer. Spread a layer of icing on top of the first layer, then pipe a dam of icing around the edge. In the middle between the piped frosting lines, lay in ¼ of the candied pecans and over them, pipe a drizzle of ¼ of the remaining caramel. (Hint: if the carmel isn’t pipable at room temperature, warm it for 10 seconds or so in the microwave and stir in another tablespoon of warmed cream). 
Over this, lay the second cake layer and repeat the same: spread a layer of icing, pipe a dam around the edge, lay in ¼ of the pecans, and pipe ¼ of the carmel. 

Lay the third layer on top. 

The cake layers should still be substantially frozen and the edges should line up and be relatively clean of crumbs. Spread one thin layer of icing over the entire outside of the “hay bale’ just to hold in the crumbs as the cake thaws. Refrigerate and construct the second ‘hay bale’ from the other three cake layers, the remaining pecans and caramel, and some of the icing. You should have some icing left. Refrigerate the second ‘hay bale’.

Stack the ‘hay bales’ on a serving platter and fill a piping bag fitted with the tip of your choice with the rest of the icing. Pipe ‘hay ends’ on the short sides of the bales. Spread the long ends with the rest of the icing and run a fork or skewer through the icing to look like stacked hay. Decorate with little pumpkins or as desired.​

So, I sure hope you enjoy this! I love these flavors for this time of year. It just makes everybody feel warm and wonderful! Add a little hot apple cider, and you’ve got a perfect family celebration dessert.

​You know, the purpose of Charli Ann’s Heavenly Cakes isn’t just to make yummy things to eat (although that part is definitely super fun!), it’s to make a difference in this world. As much as I’d like you to join me in baking, I’d like even more to have you join me in my crowdfunding campaign to change this world one cake at a time. Thanks, y’all, and happy baking!