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Caramel Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12
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Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Cake Layers

  • BUBBL’R passion fruit mingl’r for serving
  • 1 ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup granulated cane sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. pumpkin spice
  • 2 ¼ tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. fine sea salt

Easy Caramel

  • 1 ½ cups brown sugar
  • ¾ cup unsalted or salted butter
  • 6 tbsp. whole milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract (Optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
  • 4-4 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp. milk

Instructions
 

Pumpkin Cake Layers

  • Preheat oven 350F. Grease (3) 6" cake pans or (2) 9" cake pans with butter, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt). Mix well and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the olive oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on HIGH speed for 1 minute.
  • Reduce speed to Medium-High, adding the eggs in one-at-a-time to fully incorporate.
  • Add the canned pumpkin puree, buttermilk, apple cider, and vanilla. Beat 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the flour mixture and mix on LOW speed, just until combined. Don’t over mix the batter!
  • Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared cake pans.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Easy Caramel

  • Combine all ingredients into a saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk until sugar is dissolved.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to completely cool. Do not stir as it cools.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth.
  • Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add the milk and 2 more cups of powdered sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 5-6 minutes, until light and fluffy. If needed, add the remaining ½ cup powdered sugar if too thin or add a little milk if too thick.

To Assemble the Cake

  • Between each cake layer, pipe a large circle of frosting along the edge of the cake layer, then a large circle in the center. In the remaining space between the frosting, fill with the cooled caramel. Repeat with the second cake layer.
  • Frost the cake as normal with remaining frosting.
  • Enjoy with BUBBL’R passion fruit mingl’r for a complementary refreshment!

Notes

If you plan on decorating as seen in pictures, make 1 ½ servings of the cream cheese frosting. Remove 1 cup to add orange food coloring for the pumpkins, and remove ¼ cup to add brown food coloring for the stems.