11.15.16
Please forgive me, this will be short and sweet, just like this cake! I am beyond sick. Like S-I-C-K, sick. I actually cannot remember the last time I’ve been taken out this hard. I’ve been on the couch for four days straight, living off water, hot tea, and sleep. So I’ll post a few pretty pictures, the recipe, and fall right to sleep into Mucinex-induced dreams. Typing this is all the energy I have left.
So trust me, this cake is amazing, and unplanned. I made it after I finished those Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies and had half a batch of frosting left. So I made a cake based off my banana cake and it was amazing. Trade it out for your conventional pie next week!
I got this caramel sauce from Baker By Nature, fast and easy!
Enjoy, and pray I get through work today. Send honey and uppers!
Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup graham crackers, broken up
For the Caramel Sauce
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- splash of vanilla
For the Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2-3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 275 and grease 2 6″ cake tins and line with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices, set aside
- In a stand up mixer with a paddle attachment, cream room temperature butter and sugars together until light and fluffy
- Add in egg and vanilla one at a time, waiting to each to be fully mixed in before adding the next
- Scrape down the sides of your bowl and on low speed beginning with the flour mixture, alternate pouring in with the buttermilk
- Pour in pumpkin puree and allow to just combine
- Evenly distribute batter into two cake tins and bake for 60-70 minutes, until risen and toothpick in center of cake comes out clean
- Allow to cool slightly before dumping them onto a wire rack to fully cool
- With your hands, a food processor or a rolling pin, break up about 1 cup of graham crackers
For the Caramel Sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat whisk together all ingredients except for vanilla
- Bring to a boil, add in vanilla and keep whisking until thick and smooth, about 5 or so minutes
- Set aside and allow to cool
For the Frosting
- In another bowl for a stand up mixer cream together cream cheese and butter until combined
- Add in maple syrup, then confectioners sugar, about 1 cup at a time to allow it to combine and bring to desired consistency
To Assemble
- If domed, cut off tops of cake to ensure a flat surface
- Pipe or spread frosting on top of bottom layer
- Flip second layer upside down and place on top of frosting, pressing down gently
- Spread frosting on top and around the sides, scraping off excess to create crumb coat
- Place in fridge for about 10-15 minutes to chill
- Spread the rest of frosting around sides and top scraping as necessary to create a clean, ‘naked’ look
- Drizzle caramel sauce over top
- Place broken graham crackers around the outer edge of the top and along the bottom of the cake
- Enjoy!
P.S.
*This cake has a more rustic, naked look, double the frosting ingredients to be able to fully cover it
Adapted from Food.com
