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This naked pumpkin layer cake has layers of moist spiced pumpkin cake with creamy sweet caramel buttercream and caramel topping.

Naked pumpkin layer cake on a blue cake stand.

Hey there, and welcome back, friends.

You are in for a treat!

This post is sponsored by KitchenAid. All opinions are 100% mine, as usual. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored posts that make it possible for me to continue to create quality content! This post was originally published on November 13, 2015, and has been updated with new pictures.

A slice of Naked Pumpkin Cake being removed from the whole cake.

Pumpkin Layer Cake

Make this pumpkin layer cake with caramel buttercream if you can this weekend, or keep it in your back pocket for Thanksgiving.

It’s a stunner that will be perfect for holiday gatherings. Starting with my favorite spiced pumpkin cake recipe, I filled this moist and delicious cake with a creamy, sweet caramel buttercream and topped it off with drizzles of caramel.

A slice of Naked Pumpkin Layer Cake on a white plate.

It could only get better if you used salted caramel sauce, as I imagine a sweet and salty combo with pumpkin will be great.

Pumpkin Layer Cake Ingredients

Ingredients for Naked Pumpkin Layer cake in small bowls.
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • some spices like ground cinnamon, ground ginger, & ground cloves
  • brown sugar & powdered sugar
  • a few eggs
  • vegetable oil
  • pumpkin puree
  • vanilla extract
  • milk
  • unsalted butter
  • homemade caramel sauce
Pumpkin Layer Cake on a blue cake stand.

How to Make Pumpkin Layer Cake

Caramel Sauce

Place the sugar in an even layer in a saucepan and set over medium heat.

When sugar starts to bubble around the edges, whisk constantly until it melts (you will have clumps of sugar in your whisk, but keep whisking; they will dissolve). Once the sugar dissolves, let it cook for 2-3 minutes as it browns. Keep your eye on the caramel, which will easily burn at this stage.

Whisk in the butter and mix until completely melted.

Remove the pan from heat and gradually add in the heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sea salt until dissolved (if using).

Transfer the caramel immediately into a glass jar and let cool completely.

Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment rounds and grease parchment.

Mixing together the dry ingredients for the cake.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl.

Pouring liquids to a bowl to make cake.

In the bowl of your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer, beat the brown sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Gradually add in vegetable oil and mix until just combined.

Adding pumpkin puree to the cake batter.

Beat in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.

Adding dry ingredients to the cake batter.

Alternate the dry ingredients and milk in three batches, and beat until combined between each addition.

Adding milk to the cake batter.

Divide batter equally into prepared pans.

Pumpkin cake batter divided into cake pans.

Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.

A single layer of baked pumpkin cake.

Let cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Buttercream

Beating the butter to make buttercream.

In the bowl of your Stand Mixer, beat butter on medium-high until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Adding powdered sugar to the butter.

Reduce speed to low and add sugar, one cup at a time.

Adding caramel to the buttercream.

Beat until combined. Add vanilla, heavy cream, and caramel sauce and beat to combine.

The finished caramel buttercream.

Increase speed to medium and beat frosting until smooth and fluffy.

Assemble

Place one layer of cake onto a cake board or plate. Spoon about half of the frosting onto the cake. Top with the second layer of cake and the rest of the frosting. End with the last layer of cake.

Topping the pumpkin cake with caramel.

Top cake with caramel sauce.

Pumpkin Layer Cake with caramel drizzled overtop.

How to Store Pumpkin Cake

Store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also store this cake in the freezer for up to 3 months. Unthaw the cake at room temperature.

A piece of naked pumpkin cake on a white plate.

More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes

Two slices of Naked Pumpkin Cake on white plates.

What do you think of this fantastic pumpkin cake recipe? What would you serve with a slice of this cake? Let me know in the comment section below. 

A picture of the cake with a few slices missing on a blue cake stand.

If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!

Happy baking, friends!

Two slices of Naked Pumpkin Cake with the whole cake in the background.

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Naked pumpkin layer cake on a blue cake stand.
Yield: 1 8-inch layer cake

Pumpkin Layer Cake

This naked pumpkin layer cake has layers of moist spiced pumpkin cake with creamy sweet caramel buttercream, with a caramel topping.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 15 ounces (~1 1/2) cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk, room temperature

Caramel Frosting

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup homemade caramel sauce, plus more for topping

Instructions

Caramel Sauce

  1. Place the sugar in an even layer in a 3.0-quart saucepan from the KitchenAid® Stainless Steel 10-Piece Set and set over medium heat.
  2. When sugar starts to bubble around the edges, whisk constantly until all of it melts (you will have clumps of sugar in your whisk but keep whisking, they will dissolve). Once the sugar dissolves, let it cook for about 2-3 minutes as it browns. Keep your eye on the caramel, as it will easily burn at this stage.
  3. Whisk in the butter and mix until completely melted.
  4. Remove the pan from heat and gradually add in the heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sea salt until dissolved (if using).
  5. Transfer the caramel immediately into a glass jar and let cool completely.

Cake

  1. Preheat KitchenAid® 30-Inch 5-Element Electric Convection Slide-In Range to 325 degrees F.
  2. Butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment rounds and grease parchment.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
  4. In the bowl of your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer, beat the brown sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Gradually add in vegetable oil and mix until just combined.
  5. Beat in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
  6. Alternate the dry ingredients and milk, in three batches, and beat until combined between each addition.
  7. Divide batter equally into prepared pans. Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
  8. Let cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Buttercream

  1. In the bowl of your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer, beat butter on medium-high until smooth about 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add sugar, one cup at a time.
  2. Beat until combined. Add vanilla, heavy cream, and caramel sauce and beat to combine.
  3. Increase speed to medium and beat frosting until smooth and fluffy.

Assemble

  1. Place one layer of cake onto a cake board or plate. Spoon about half of the frosting onto the cake. Top with the second layer of cake and the rest of the frosting. End with the last layer of cake.
  2. Top cake with caramel sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 879Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 628mgCarbohydrates: 157gFiber: 14gSugar: 109gProtein: 12g

Making this Recipe?

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© A Classic Twist
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes