A shocking dessert, this pumpkin caramel poke cake is so moist and completely spiced, and that whipped caramel cream frosting is to-die for!
In case you want a showstopper of a fall dessert (pumpkin! caramel!), look no additional. This cake comes collectively in three straightforward steps, that are detailed in full beneath!
Make the Cake
This straightforward one-bowl pumpkin cake batter is whisked collectively by hand. It comes collectively quick!
Actually all of the components besides the flour are combined collectively after which the flour is added and combined till the batter is evenly mixed.
Bake the cake in a 9X13-inch baking pan. Many kinds of pans will work: glass, ceramic, metallic.
For metallic pans, it’s preferable to make use of a light-colored metallic pan as dark-coated metallic pans can over bake the edges of the cake earlier than the middle is finished.
Make the Simple Caramel Sauce
Whereas the cake bakes, toss all of the caramel sauce components in a small saucepan (apart from the vanilla).
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup salted butter, lower into items
- ⅓ cup milk, ideally not skim (I take advantage of 2%) – resist the urge to sub in heavy cream or half-and-half! Surprisingly, the sauce seems far superior utilizing common milk.
- Pinch desk salt
As soon as the butter is melted, simmer the caramel sauce for 2 minutes. Pull off the warmth and stir within the vanilla.
For such a easy and fast caramel sauce, these items is amazingly divine!
It thickens because it cools and is the right consistency for this cake and the frosting, however it is usually fantastic for dipping sliced apples, drizzling over ice cream, or wherever else caramel sauce is required. (Trace: in every single place and on every part.)
Make the Caramel Cream Frosting
Oh, this frosting. It’s unbelievably scrumptious. Caramel + cream cheese + cream.
For what it’s price, you possibly can hardly style the cream cheese in any respect, however it provides mandatory construction and creaminess to the frosting (and helps the frosting to not get liquidy if made forward of time).
- Whip the cream cheese till comfortable and creamy.
- Add 3/4 cup of the fully cooled caramel sauce.
- Add the heavy cream* and blend till thick and lusciously creamy.
*Heavy Whipping Cream Be aware: I take advantage of heavy whipping cream with 40% fats (Darigold from Costco), which suggests it thickens properly when combined into the caramel/cream cheese without having to be whipped by itself first. In case you are utilizing heavy whipping cream with much less fats, you could have to whip it to comfortable peaks first earlier than folding into the combined cream cheese + caramel.
Assemble the Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake
- Poke holes everywhere in the baked pumpkin cake. It may be barely heat or absolutely cooled (to room temperature) at this level.
- BEST POKING APPARATUS goes toooooo: my super-sized knitting needle (which I’ve really by no means knitted with 😆). You should utilize a wood spoon deal with, chopstick, or the rest that may create holes giant sufficient for the thick caramel to soak in (the small tines of a fork can be too tiny for the thick caramel).
- Regularly drizzle 1 cup of the nice and cozy (however not scorching) caramel sauce excessive of the cake and use a spatula to clean and gently press the caramel into the holes. If the caramel is taking some time to sink into the cake, wait a couple of minutes to offer the caramel time to sink into the cake, after which proceed till the full 1 cup of the caramel has been used.
- Let the cake and caramel cool fully earlier than frosting. At this level, the cake will be lined and stored at room temperature for a number of hours earlier than continuing with the remainder of the recipe.
- Unfold the frosting evenly over the cake and sprinkle with toffee bits.
Extra caramel notice as a result of I really feel it is very important restate issues one million occasions: It’s best to unfold the caramel sauce over the cake whereas the sauce remains to be barely heat. If the caramel sauce has cooled or been chilled, evenly heat it on the stovetop or within the microwave and whisk to recombine earlier than utilizing. (The portion of caramel sauce used within the frosting ought to be fully cooled to room temperature.)
There are a number of extra notes within the recipe beneath, so ensure that to learn by means of it totally earlier than making the recipe!
My buddy, Deb, launched me to this cake. She made it for a vacation dinner with our household and has since made it for a number of child showers, and it’s all the time successful (as in, individuals are swarming her for the recipe, and I’m begging for an invitation despite the fact that I despise placing on actual pants and leaving my home and need to fake to know the mom and the child simply to get entry to a chunk of this cake).
It could appear to be an extended, intimidating recipe, however I guarantee you, it’s simple and comes collectively simply! I modified a couple of issues within the unique recipe to make it much more approachable and easy.
The comfortable, moist pumpkin cake smothered in caramel and topped with that luxurious frosting is totally to-die for and so price it. Prepare for a very good pumpkin dessert!
Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake with Whipped Caramel Cream Frosting
Cake:
- 1 15-ounce can (425 g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) packed gentle brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (140 g) neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable oil
- 3 giant (150 g) eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons floor cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon floor nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon floor ginger
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups (318 g) packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup (170 g) (12 tablespoons) butter, lower into items
- ⅓ cup (80 g) milk, ideally not skim (I take advantage of 2%)
- Pinch desk salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Caramel Cream Frosting:
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (363 g) heavy whipping cream (see notice)
- ½ to 1 cup toffee bits, for garnish (non-compulsory)
Stop your display screen from going darkish
Preheat oven to 350 levels F. Flippantly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Put aside.
For the cake, in a big bowl, add the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and ginger. Whisk till very well-combined.
Add the flour and blend till the batter is absolutely mixed.
Unfold the batter evenly within the ready pan and bake for 28-32 minutes till the highest springs again evenly to the contact. (Add time, as wanted – precise baking time will depend upon pan sort and precise oven temperature; do not over bake or the cake can be dry.)
Take away from the oven and let cool till simply barely heat (it is okay if it cools fully, however the caramel soaks in higher if the cake remains to be a bit heat).
For the caramel sauce (make whereas the cake bakes), in a medium saucepan, mix the brown sugar, butter, milk and salt. Warmth over low warmth till the butter is melted. Enhance the warmth to medium and convey to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes with out stirring.
Take away from the warmth and stir within the vanilla. Put aside to chill to heat room temperature. You will use 1 cup of the caramel sauce for the cake and the remaining 3/4 cup caramel sauce for the frosting.
When the cake has largely cooled however remains to be barely heat, poke holes all all through the highest of the cake, ensuring to poke all the way in which to the underside of the cake. You should utilize a wood spoon deal with, chopstick, giant knitting needle (my “utensil” of selection!) or the rest that you’ve got available. The holes must be giant sufficient for the thick caramel to soak in (so do not use one thing as small because the tines of a fork).
Regularly drizzle 1 cup of the nice and cozy (however not scorching) caramel sauce excessive of the cake and use a spatula to clean and gently press the caramel into the holes. If the caramel is taking some time to sink into the cake, cease pouring the caramel sauce excessive, wait a couple of minutes to offer the caramel time to drizzle down into the cake, after which proceed till the total 1 cup of the caramel has been used.
Let the cake and caramel cool fully earlier than frosting. At this level, the cake will be lined and stored at room temperature for a number of hours earlier than continuing with the remainder of the recipe.
For the whipped caramel cream frosting, in a bowl with an electrical handheld mixer (or within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), add the cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup caramel sauce (this portion of sauce ought to be fully cooled earlier than utilizing). Combine till well-combined, scraping down the edges of the bowl as wanted.
Add the heavy cream (see notice earlier than including!), and blend on low velocity till the combination is evenly mixed. Enhance the velocity to medium-high and blend till the frosting is thick and creamy (and may simply be unfold like frosting).
Unfold the frosting evenly over the fully cooled cake. Sprinkle with toffee bits, lower into squares, and serve.
Heavy Cream: I take advantage of heavy whipping cream with 40% fats (Darigold from Costco), which suggests it thickens properly when combined into the caramel/cream cheese without having to be whipped by itself first. In case you are utilizing heavy whipping cream with much less fats, you could have to whip it to comfortable peaks first earlier than folding into the combined cream cheese + caramel.
Make-Forward: this cake will be assembled and refrigerated earlier than serving. It tastes finest if served inside 1 to 2 hours of assembling the cake. If you wish to make it greater than two hours forward of time, I might counsel refrigerating the frosting individually and spreading it over the cake proper earlier than serving. The cake will be baked and drizzled with caramel a number of hours earlier than frosting (cowl and preserve at room temperature).
Serving: 1 serving, Energy: 510kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 5g, Fats: 30g, Saturated Fats: 13g, Ldl cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 341mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 43g
Recipe Supply: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (impressed by a cake my buddy, Deb, made); took the cake layer and tailored it barely from these pumpkin bars, caramel recipe tailored from allrecipes
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