This Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting is honestly one of the best pumpkin cakes I’ve made. It’s moist, tender and full of warm pumpkin spice. The frosting is creamy, slightly tangy and swirled with salted caramel for an irresistible flavor combination. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any time you want a cozy fall dessert.
I thought I’d tried every pumpkin dessert, and then I combined pumpkin cake with salted caramel frosting and discovered something new. The cake is warmly spiced and soft, and the frosting adds creaminess and a touch of salt to balance the sweetness. If you love pumpkin desserts, this one is a must-try.
Um… Moving on.
Pumpkin Cake Recipe
This pumpkin cake bakes up moist with a tender crumb and loads of pumpkin flavor. The method is simple and can be done in a few easy steps.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat together the wet ingredients: vegetable oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree.
- Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture in two additions until just combined.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for about 35–40 minutes. The cake is done when it feels set in the center and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
The cake stays incredibly moist thanks to the oil, eggs, and pumpkin puree. Brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice give it deep, cozy fall flavors. The recipe calls for a milder spice level (2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice), but you can increase to 1 tablespoon if you prefer a stronger spice presence. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can substitute a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to taste.
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
The caramel cream cheese frosting is smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced. The tang from the cream cheese keeps the caramel from becoming cloying, producing a frosting that’s creamy, slightly tangy, and full of caramel flavor.
You can make a homemade salted caramel sauce for best results, which is thicker and ideal for folding into frosting. If you’re short on time, a good-quality thick caramel sauce from the store works, too.
- Beat softened unsalted butter until smooth, then add softened cream cheese and beat until combined.
- Mix in about half of the powdered sugar, then add the salted caramel and blend.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach your preferred sweetness and consistency.
- If the frosting is too thick or sweet, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of heavy or whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s spreadable.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and serve. Optionally, top slices with chopped pecans or an extra drizzle of caramel for a finishing touch.
This pumpkin cake with caramel cream cheese frosting is addictively good: moist, warmly spiced, and finished with a decadent frosting. It’s a perfect dessert for fall gatherings or a special treat any time you want pumpkin flavor with a caramel twist.
Here are a few other pumpkin dessert ideas to try if you enjoy this one:
- Pumpkin Cranberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Fiona Dowling
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Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup salted caramel
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch pan.
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Whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
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In a large bowl, beat the oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until smooth.
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Beat in the flour mixture in two additions, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed, until combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 35–40 minutes, until the cake feels firm and a toothpick comes out clean.
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
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Beat the butter until smooth, then add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
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Mix in 1½ cups of powdered sugar, then add the salted caramel and blend.
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Add the remaining powdered sugar in ½-cup increments until you reach the desired sweetness and texture.
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If the frosting is too thick or sweet, beat in 1–2 tablespoons of whipping cream until spreadable.
Salted Caramel Sauce
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Cook the sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. It will clump and then melt into a deep amber color.
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Once smooth, whisk in the butter until melted and incorporated.
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Remove from heat and whisk in the whipping cream, then stir in vanilla and salt.
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