Ultimate Pumpkin Cake with Salted Caramel & Candied Pecans

Sliced pumpkin cake on a cake stand with visible layers of caramel, cream cheese frosting, and moist pumpkin cake.

Ultimate Pumpkin Cake with Salted Caramel & Candied Pecans

Stick-to-your-fork moist layers of one-bowl spiced pumpkin cake are 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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dessert

Keyword Pumpkin Cake, Thanksgiving Desserts, Halloween Desserts, Thanksgiving Cake

Prep Time 1 45

Cook Time 37

Servings + slices

Calories 1184kcal

Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp salted butter, cubed
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream
pinch of flaky sea salt

For the Candied Pecans & Pepitas

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

For the Pumpkin Cake:

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

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

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!)
pinch of salt to taste

Instructions

Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: Follow the directions and recipe in this post to make the Caramel Sauce! Let cool, then store in a jar in the fridge until ready to use (or up to 1 month).
Make the Candied Pecans & Pepitas: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the brown sugar, water, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until bubbling. Stir in the pecans and pepitas to coat, then continue stirring and cooking for 2-3 minutes. Place on prepared pan to cool and set up.
Make the Cake Batter: Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease & flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients and whisk together just until the batter smooths out, making sure no dry bits are hiding in the bottom of the bowl.
Bake: Divide the batter between your prepared pans, and bake for 20-24 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes will pull out moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: I prefer to bake two pans on the same rack at one time, then do the third one separately after that, for the most even bake.
Make the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes. Ad the powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, mixing between each addition. Mix in the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to taste.
Tip: If your frosting becomes too soft to work with, pop it in the fridge to chill and stiffen up.
Assemble the Cake: Place the first cake layer on a cake stand protected with wax paper strips, or a turntable (or even on the cake stand, on top of the turntable). (A turntable is the easiest!) Use a dab of frosting to secure the layer in place. Fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip with 1/2 cup of frosting.
Frost the first layer with 1 cup of frosting, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula. Pipe a border of frosting around the cake layer and fill with 1/2 cup of caramel sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the nuts. Place the second cake layer on top and spread the excess frosting peeking out between the layers to begin your crumb coat around the first two layers. Chill for 5-10 minutes to set things so the layers don't slide around. Repeat with the second layer. Add the final layer upside down (for a flat top!) and give the cake a thin layer of frosting on top and on the sides.Use a cake scraper to smooth out and remove excess frosting. This is your crumb coat, so don't fret if it isn't perfect. Pop the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to set the frosting. Then, apply the remaining frosting, using the cake scraper to smooth the top and sides of the cake. Create a drip around the edge of the cake with the remaining caramel sauce – simply pour it slowly along the edge while turning the cake, and let it drip down.
Pipe extra frosting in swirls on top of the cake and decorate with the remaining nuts and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Chill the entire cake in the fridge for 30 minutes, or longer if your frosting got soft while working with it (with plastic wrap or a cake lid).
Note: All tools mentioned here are named and linked in the "special tools" section of the post, just above the recipe card.
Serve + Store: Serve the cake once it's had at least 30 minutes in the fridge to set up. Slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Press plastic wrap over the cut part of the cake to help preserve it, even if it's enclosed in a cake container. See tips for freezing in FAQs above.

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