ultimate pumpkin cake with salted caramel & candied pecans

Name: Ultimate Pumpkin Cake with Salted Caramel & Candied Pecans
Prep time: 105 min
Cook time: 37 min
Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar; 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed; 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream; pinch of flaky sea salt; 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed; 1 and 1/2 tbsp water; 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup pecan halves; 1 cup pepitas (these are small, green roasted pumpkin seeds); 5 large eggs; 1 and 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed; 1 and 1/4 cups vegetable oil; 2 tbsp real maple syrup; 3/4 tsp vanilla extract; 18.75 ounces canned pumpkin (You'll need one full standard 15 ounce can plus about 1/3 cup + 1 generous tbsp of a second.); 2 and 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (345 grams); 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 and 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 and 3/4 tsp nutmeg; 1 and 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 3/4 tsp ground ginger; 3/4 tsp allspice; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 and 1/2 cups salted butter, softened at room temperature; 16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature (Use full fat, in the blocks); 7 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp cinnamon (plus 1/4 tsp extra, to taste (I always add it!))

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Pumpkin Cake has stick-to-your-fork moist layers of one-bowl spiced pumpkin cake, filled with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, Salted Caramel Sauce, and Candied Cinnamon Pecans & Pepitas. This show stopping dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, or any fall celebration!

Why you’ll love this Pumpkin Cake:

Moist Pumpkin Layer Cake – I defy you to find a more moist cake than this one! It’s made in one bowl, too, with no mixer for total ease! And, it’s full of pumpkin flavor and a pumpkin pie spice blend.
Salted Caramel Sauce – My Salted Caramel Sauce takes just 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make and is perfectly balanced.
Candied Pecans & Pepitas – These add a beautiful crunch to contrast with the fluffy pumpkin cake, and come together in a skillet in less than 10 minutes.

A close-up on a slice of pumpkin cake with moist layers, a caramel drip, and candied nuts.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Vegetable Oil – Vegetable oil keeps this cake ultra moist!
Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer. This is not used in the cake, but in the frosting & caramel sauce.
Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract for best results.
Canned Pumpkin – This cake calls for canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), but you can use homemade pumpkin puree if you aren’t able to purchase this in your local grocery store.
Eggs – Be sure to buy large eggs for baking, always.
Maple Syrup – Be sure to use real, pure maple syrup for best results.

Ingredient Substitutions:

Dairy-free – This cake is already dairy-free, but you can make the frosting dairy-free by using your favorite dairy-free cream cheese and butter. I’ve heard that coconut milk works in place of the heavy cream in caramel sauce, but haven’t tested it myself. You can also use a store-bought dairy free caramel sauce.
Brown Sugar – You can use dark brown sugar if you want a deeper flavor.

How to Make this Pumpkin Cake Recipe Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Make the Caramel Sauce. This comes together in just 10 minutes! Follow my post on how to make caramel sauce here. Let this cool while you make the cookies.

A spoon dipping into a jar of caramel sauce.

Step 2: Make the Candied Pecans & Pepitas. Add brown sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt to a saucepan and cook for 1-2 minutes until you have a bubbly sauce. Stir in the pecans and pepitas, then transfer to a baking sheet to cool.

Tip: Make extra, and include them in your thanksgiving table decor as an edible treat, or to include on holiday cookie plates & tins!

Shiny, candied pecans and pepitas with flaky sea salt.

Step 3: Make the Delicious Pumpkin Cake & Bake. In a large bowl, whisk up your wet ingredients – real pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs, and brown sugar. Then, add the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda and powder, and cozy fall spices. Divide the batter between your prepared cake pans and bake as directed in the recipe card below.

Two images: a bowl of slightly thick pumpkin cake batter, and a baked pumpkin cake layer.

Step 4: Make the Frosting. Cream together butter and cream cheese, then mix in cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt. This frosting is a fall dream!

A close-up on a bowl of cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Step 5: Assemble the Cake.

Stack your cooled cake layers with a filling of our cinnamon cream cheese frosting, salted caramel sauce, and candied pecans & pepitas.

Full directions with tips on this process are in the recipe card below, and the piping tips and tools I used are linked below.

Two images: two frosted layers of cake on a cake stand, and one of the visible piped frosting border around the caramel and nuts.

You will go pumpkins (get it – like going bananas? Ok, terrible joke) for this perfect fall dessert! The layers are spiced, flavorful, and moist. The frosting is ultra creamy, and the salted caramel sauce and candied nuts add beautiful salty sweet contrast to the frosting, with an added crunch.

A close-up on a cross section of the cake with visible layers of cream cheese frosting, salted caramel sauce, and moist pumpkin cake.

Serving + Storing this Recipe:

Chill the frosted cake for 30 minutes or so before serving to help everything set up nicely. Store the leftover cake in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I recommend putting plastic wrap over the cut part of the cake as well, to help keep it from drying out.

The decorated cake, before being sliced into, with a caramel drip and piped swirls on top, with candied nuts.

Expert Success Tips:

Break Up the Steps – This cake and each of the elements are simple to make, but can feel like a bit of work if you try to do it all in one day. I recommend making the nuts and caramel a few days ahead (up to 2 weeks ahead for the caramel). Then, bake the cake layers and either frost and assemble them the same day, or the next day. This makes the whole process manageable!
Avoid Runny Frosting – People often over-soften their butter & cream cheese, ending up with frosting that’s too soft or even runny. Cream cheese only needs 15-20 minutes or so to come to room temperature because it’s softer than butter in it’s cold state. Beating in the cream cheese last also helps prevent weeping! If your frosting becomes weepy at any point, pop it in the fridge to help stiffen it.
Frosting the Cake – Remember to never frost a warm cake, as everything will melt and it will be a disaster!
Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

Recipe Variations:

Fewer Steps – Feel free to omit the salted caramel sauce and/or the candied nuts if you want more of a classic pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, and fewer steps. Although I truly believe nothing compares to homemade salted caramel sauce, feel free to use your favorite store-bought in a pinch.
Brown Butter Frosting – Browning the butter for your frosting is an easy way to add even more flavor! If you are a frosting pro and aren’t worried about weepy frosting, beat the room temperature liquid brown butter into the cream cheese, then add the remaining frosting ingredients. If you’re not there yet, bring the butter back to room temperature consistency before mixing up the frosting, so that you can beat in the cream cheese last.

A close-up on a slice of the cake on a plate, with a fork digging in.

FAQs:

Can I make this recipe ahead?

Yes, the cake layers can be baked, cooled, and tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frosted the next day. The frosting can be made a day ahead, & refrigerated in an airtight container. Let it come back to room temperature for a bit before using, and re-mix it to get it creamy again. The caramel sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and kept in the fridge.

Can I freeze this cake?

Leftover cake slices can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen in freezer safe airtight containers or bags (suck the air out with a straw) for 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.

A top-down view of the sliced cake, with a beautiful layer of salted caramel sauce on top.

Special Tools:

(The links below are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase using that link.)

Offset Spatula – Offset spatulas make frosting a cake so easy! They can also be used for spreading cake and brownie batters evenly.
Cake Turntable – If you make even a few cakes a year, a cake turntable makes the frosting process a breeze!
Piping Bag & Piping Tip – I like to use a reusable piping bag and a Wilton 1A or 2A piping tip for piping the borders between layers, but you can use a plastic bag with the corner snipped off in a pinch. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip for the swirls.

More Favorite Pumpkin Recipes:

More Layered Cake Recipes to Love:

White Forest Cake
Gingerbread Cake
Perfect White Birthday Cake
German Chocolate Cake
Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Cake
Best Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

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