Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

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09/13/2010

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake is the perfect autumn dessert: warm spices baked into a moist cake topped with a tangy, smooth cream cheese frosting with homemade caramel swirled in it.

I was bringing dessert to a dinner party and for some reason I could not.. just could not choose what to make. My boyfriend suggested that it be something autumn-ish since all the leaves by the river near our house have started to change colours. I flipped through recipe books, I visited my favorite food blogs, I consulted other food lovers for their favorite fall dessert and wrote them down into lists. In the end my list looked something like this:

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Apple crisp with homemade ice cream
salted caramel ice cream
pumpkin bourbon cheesecake
apple dumplings

Then, instead of choosing one from my list I went with a pumpkin cake recipe that I found on epicurious that had gotten great reviews.

I have to admit that I wandered around the grocery store FOREVER looking for the canned pumpkin. It didn't help that I was talking on my cell phone and only half paying attention. To save you time: walking back and forth from the canned veggie and canned fruit aisle isn't going to work. It's with the pie fillings. Make sure that you get canned pumpkin though, not canned pumpkin pie filling.

What gives the cake its lovely flavor (other than the pumpkin) is the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, cardamom, and grated orange peel. They get whisked into the flour with some baking soda and baking powder.

While the cake was baking I started making the caramel for the caramel cream cheese icing.

First you combine half a cup of whipping cream with some vanilla and some salt.

Then you melt a half cup of powdered sugar over medium heat, when it turns amber the cream gets stirred in.

The recipe reviewers had warned to watch the caramel and MAKE SURE to taste it before using it to make sure that it hasn't burnt because it can burn fairly quickly.

So I went ahead and burnt my first batch (it didn't look burnt but you better believe it tasted burnt.. salty and dark and nasty)

The second batch turned out perfectly, I poured the cream over the amber sugar and stirred to dissolve the solid caramel pieces that formed with the cold cream hit them.

Then the caramel got put in the freezer to cool to room temp before making the rest of the icing.

While the caramel and the cakes were cooling I washed some leaves that I had gathered from my front yard in order to make some decorations with them.

This technique works with candy melts (which is what I used) and also with chocolate.

Just paint the melted chocolate or candy melts onto the veined side of the leaf. Try to avoid going over the edge too much or its hard to peel the leaf off afterwards. I did a couple of layers on each leaf so that they wouldn't be too delicate.

Once they are coated with chocolate they go in the fridge to stiffen up. Then all you have to do is gently peel the leaf off of the chocolate. Easy peasy.

The candy leaves went on top of the frosted cake. The frosting comes together in a snap once the caramel is done. Some reviewers said that their frosting didn't set, but I didn't have a problem with it. It was a very soft frosting, but cream cheese icing is usually soft. Plus the icing's flavor is amazing: tangy from the cream cheese but also smooth and caramel-y.

The cake went over well at the dinner party, I will be adding this cake to my "make this again!" list asap because moist, flavorful cake is a welcome addition to any occasion.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

(From Epicurious)

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Whisk the first 9 ingredients together

3. In a separate bowl for electric mixer mix the pumpkin, oil, and sugar together. Beat the eggs in one by one.

4. Add the flour-spice mixture until just combined then stir in orange peel

5. Pour into two greased nine inch cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes (mine took closer to 40 minutes before my toothpick came out clean)

Cream Cheese Caramel Frosting

1 1-pound box powdered sugar, divided

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Combine the whipping cream, vanilla and salt and set it near the stove (you'll be glad to have it close)

2. Melt 1/2 cup of powdered sugar over medium heat in a pot. Don't stir until it has started melting.

3. Once the sugar has melted keep heating it, stirring occasionally, until it turns amber. WATCH it carefully because it can go from good to burnt pretty quickly.

4. Pour the cream mixture on the sugar (it was bubble and sputter quite a bit) and stir to melt the caramel pieces.

5. Pour into a bowl and cool to room temp (I stuck mine in the freezer)

6. In a mixer bowl mix together cream cheese and butter. Slowly mix in sugar to taste (I did not use anywhere near all the sugar, I like my icing tangy)

7. Pour the cooled caramel into the frosting and mix until smooth. Place in fridge to chill until spreadable (mine chilled in 20 minutes)

If you want a stronger caramel flavour make double the amount of caramel for the frosting. This will make the frosting a bit runnier, almost pour-able which looks good on bunt cakes or pound cakes.

Posted at 10:49 AM in Cakes, Decorating | Permalink

Tags: autumn food, cake, cake decorations, candy melts, caramel cream cheese frosting, chocolate leaves, cream cheese frosting, fall, pumpkin spice cake

Comments

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I love pumpkin so I was pretty interested, but the candied leaves really sold me on this cake.

Posted by: April Armistead | 09/13/2010 at 11:57 AM

These look amazing! What a great idea!

Posted by: Nicominixturner.blogspot.com | 09/13/2010 at 03:22 PM

this looks delicious! Perfect for fall. I love how you did those leaves. I'm saving this recipe :)

Posted by: Megan Gundy | 09/14/2010 at 07:57 AM

oh my goodness, yum. I adore the leaves as well, such a great idea. Now if only I could eat gluten! :)

Posted by: dani | 09/14/2010 at 08:37 AM

Mmmm, I don't doubt the deliciousness of this for one second. It would be an incredible finish to Thanksgiving dinner. I can't wait to try my hand at the leaves :)

Posted by: hocus | 09/14/2010 at 09:56 AM

Ack ! I once used pumpkin pie pumpkin in soup I had to counter act it with about a pound of curry ! This looks unbelievable and the leaves are fantastic !!! You always make me drool.....but in a good way ! LOL.

Posted by: Mylifeunderthebus | 09/14/2010 at 04:45 PM

I love everything pumpkin!! I especially love how you did those leaves-- the perfect garnish :)

Posted by: Yesteachercrafts.blogspot.com | 09/15/2010 at 04:31 AM

Amazing! I can.not.WAIT!! To try this and those leaves...pure magic. I need to get invited to a lot of parties this year because I am going to make candy melt leaves and plant them everywhere!

Posted by: www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawm9wRVa4ws_tU_GkbuWbQSJKKaFjxryUuI | 09/15/2010 at 12:41 PM

Looks tasty! I'll try it maybe for thanksgiving.

Posted by: Chelsey | 09/15/2010 at 03:46 PM

p.s. I wonder if powdered sugar carmelizes faster than granulated, my one attempt at caramel took forever, especially when I added the cream!

Posted by: Chelsey | 09/15/2010 at 03:57 PM

it was a really fast caramel. I think because it's such a small amount of sugar. The down side is that is goes from good to burnt fairly quickly too

Posted by: Stephanie | 09/15/2010 at 06:42 PM

I am so tempted to have this one!
Love you made the leaves :D :D Looking delicious~

Posted by: Account Deleted | 09/15/2010 at 09:18 PM

The leaf technique is awesome! I don't think I'm brave enough to make an entire cake, but I'm totally doing those candy leaves!

Posted by: Everybodyelse01 | 09/16/2010 at 08:58 AM

YUM! Definitely a cake I want to try and those leaves really make it look beautiful! I'll see if I can track down pumpkin here in Ireland now - I tried to make pumpkin pie here last year and couldn't find pumpkin anywhere.

Posted by: www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawmamS6mCfL64QGfs2JmQumTEbIPMBPqnQg | 09/20/2010 at 10:56 AM

um wow, you're amazing. i definitely want to try this ... can you overnight some to me in the US?? ;)

Posted by: Amy Lapi | 10/16/2010 at 05:59 PM

This looks wonderful and I love the candy leaves. With the pumpkin in a tin, is it just plain pumpkin or does it have spices in it? In australia, we don't have canned pumpkin or canned pumpkin pie filling and I would love to be able to make either of these dishes

Posted by: Adele | 10/12/2011 at 12:49 AM

WOW... Amazing! So creative and simple and beautiful!

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