After making this cake and literally fighting for a small piece with friends and family to at least figure out what this was all about, I wondered why I haven’t made a pumpkin cake before. I seriously wonder! I mean how gorgeous is the combination of brown sugar, spices, cream cheese and salted caramel. Oh and chocolate coated honeycomb that is the crunch factor hidden between those layers. It is one of the best things I had lately.
Pumpkin puree is probably one of the reasons if not the only one to blame. We don’t get canned puree in Australia which I feel is so unfair because a Pumpkin cake deserves to be a part of every cafe and bakery for it’s simplicity and beautiful flavours. The fact that it does not taste of pumpkin but more like a moist, spiced, caramel cake is perhaps unknown to many. Don’t get me wrong, It’s not that making puree from scratch is a big deal for me but I always felt that there is something extra special in those canned purees which is why they are so widely used in America in the colder months. But after a little research and a bit of testing, I succumbed to the fact that there is not going to canned puree anyway so if I want a Pumpkin cake, I might as well figure out my own way of doing it.
We had friends over for dinner and I decided to cook Italian. It should come as no surprise to you that I start planning backwards from dessert. So I whipped up a quick Tiramisu and the stress was off my back. When dessert is sorted out, I am relieved! Even if the meal is a disaster, there will be dessert to make up for everything. Ha! I think I am quite fortunate to have friends for guests who think that way too. Otherwise ,just imagine who would ever come to my place?! Anyway, no one even bothered to taste my Tiramisu. They wanted the Pumpkin cake and went back for seconds until I had to plead with them to spare a single piece for my photos. Did I tell you these kind of cakes have a name at my place? They are called ‘blob cakes’ by my dear children who declared that Mum is ‘blobbing’ frosting on the layers. Basically, the way the piping goes for these cakes.
‘Blobbing’ is actually a stress buster, especially when it yields such a delicious result!
Notes :
- I made 3 layers out of the cake batter. You could make two as well. The cooking time will increase by 7-10 minutes.
- Honeycomb is a light, crunchy toffee made out of brown sugar or golden syrup or molasses. It can be made at home or store bought. In this recipe, you could substitute it with chocolate chips or shaved chocolate.
- Make sure the salted caramel sauce is thick enough to stay in one place. The consistency thicken when stored in te refrigerator.
- To make pumpkin puree from scratch, read here.
Pumpkin Cake
Makes a 6-inch, 3 layered, round cake (adapted with slight variation from Joy of Baking)
120 g unsalted butter, room temperature
11/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (about 220 g) pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk (120 ml), room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe below)
Chocolate coated honeycomb (store bought). If not available, you could use, shaved dark chocolate or chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
225 g full fat, cream cheese
50 g unsalted butter, room temperature
11/2 tbsp maple syrup
2 cups icing/powdered sugar
Salted Caramel Sauce
50g butter
1 cup (220g) brown sugar
1 cup (250ml) cream
1 tsp sea salt
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease and line the bottom of 3 round 6 inch cake tins with baking paper.
In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated (the batter will look curdled).
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and spices. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the batter in three additions beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Evenly divide the batter between the cake tins. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake just comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. Once completely cooled, frost the cakes.
To make the cream cheese frosting, place the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and whip until smooth and blended. Add the maple syrup and icing sugar and beat until light and creamy. Add more sugar or maple syrup as needed.
To make the salted caramel sauce, combine butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 5-6 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and add the salt.
To assemble : Spread a tiny bit of the frosting on a cake plate or stand and place the first layer in the centre. Using a round tip, pipe little kisses of frosting on the cake leaving a circle in the middle. I piped two rows. Spoon two tablespoons of the salted caramel in the middle and drizzle a bit on the frosting. Place the crushed honeycomb/chocolate chips on the frosting and sauce. Repeat with the other two layers. Decorate with sugar shards (optional)
OH SONALI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another enchanting winner to me! Pumpkin for us is associated with Thanksgiving in November. Yes, there is NOTHING like the spice combination with pumpkin and of course, cream cheese. But the addition of salted caramel that you propose here MUST be used this November as I make my humble pumpkin pie!
I must ask you this, and I’ve been wanting to ask you for quite some time now….but I feared my question is to forward. BUT I MUST KNOW: what kind of lighting are you using to achieve these dark and fabulous photos? Do you use “invisible background” method or are you using a black background then special studio lighting? I absolutely love this effect.
Your recipes are probably the most creative ones out there that I’ve seen for sweets. Sonali, thank you for the JOY you share! Hugs dear Sonali, Anita Rivera
Hi lovely Anita, i hope your practice is going great. Can’t wait to see your new photos:-) Much love!
Sonali your creations are more beautiful with each post. I agree, I also make my dessert first, especially as I love to end a meal with a piéce de rèsistance. Have a lovely day.
That’s very sweet of you Eve! Thank you so much.
wooow!! what a stunning cake! totally in love <3
Thank you lovely ladies:-) So glad you liked it!
Fall will be ‘here’ (in the U.S.) soon enough, and guess what? I will be back for this wonderful recipe asap. I love love love your ‘Blobbing.’ 🙂 Of course, mine would not be as remotely beautiful as yours, but I am sure it will taste just as good because it’s your recipe 🙂
Oh thank you so much Pang! Pumpkin is such a great thing to cook with. I’m sure you have better and more varieties of pumpkin in fall on your side. Have a wonderful summer!
OMG that looks to die for! What no canned puree in Aussiland? I have been baking with pumpkin puree for years, and I always made it from my own puree. So glad you discovered how wonderful it is. LOVE the pepita brittle on top too!
Thank you so much Evelyne! I really started enjoying pumpkin now and this year I’ve made more pumpkin desserts than any other year. I’m thrilled you like the cake:-)
Yummy! All those layers that you described, are mouthwatering. Your friends are so lucky.
On a different note, my next post is inspired from your blog. Coming soon.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Wow! i’m so excited. I hope you post soon lovely. Your recipes are always brilliant. Let’s see what you come up with this time. Thanks a bunch!
Oh, how stunning is this cake?! I love pumpkin desserts. Wish canned pumpkin was more readily available here…
I know, right? At least, we have lots of pumpkin to cook with! Thank you so much for stopping by.
hahahaha I LOVE that your kids call them ‘blob cakes’ – I have to say that they are EXTREMELY pretty blobs, if that is the case! It sounds exactly like something my brothers would come up with too. It is a shame that we can’t get pumpkin puree here – I’ve never made a pumpkin anything – but feel like I need to change that. This cake is absolutely gorgeous Sonali – I am in love with the way you decorated it and all the lovely spices going on <3
My kids come up with all sorts of names for my creations, Claudia! Too embarrasing to share. Thanks for your lovely comment:-)
This cake is STUNNING! Seriously. All of your work is just gorgeous. Why have I not been following you before? I think I might just be your newest, biggest fan. xoxo
Awww…that made my day Tessa! I’m a huge fan of your creations…they are so perfect and beautiful! So glad you stopped by. Thank you so much
Gorgeous and beautiful is your cake. I love the toffee on top with the seeds. You most certainly don’t just blob…there is a lot of precision in that blobbing. I agree. Friends that love dessert are indespensible
Hello dearest friend! I am here to take some of your recipes! LOL! We have been watching the Great British Baking Show and my husband wants a cake. I told him I knew the perfect place to get a recipe: HERE! I am looking through your archives…don’t mind me! And, my practice is going very well. I learned a lot of the basics and hope to get creative! Anita Rivera