Combining some of my favorite fall flavors, pumpkin, maple, apple, caramel, and walnut, this cake is truly an explosion of harvest goodness. Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg mingle to help create a perfectly balanced taste sensation. Finished with an apple caramel topping this cake certainly evokes the richness of the autumnal season.
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix or homemade puréed pumpkin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Boiled Cider Syrup, See Cook’s Notes
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into four pats
- 1/2 cup maple sugar or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons milk, preferably whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
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Heat your oven to 350° F. Prepare a bundt pan with oil or non-stick spray, then flour the pan. Tap out excess flour and set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the batter blade (or in a bowl with an electric mixer) cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
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When the eggs are fully incorporated, blend in the pumpkin and vanilla. The batter may look a bit “curdly” at this point but it should. Don’t worry.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour with the rest of the dry ingredients. Add about 1/3 of the flour to the butter mixture and blend until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk and blend in completely. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour and blend. Finish mixing the batter by adding the final 1/2 of buttermilk, mixing, then adding the final 1/3 of flour.
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Spoon the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan, gently even out the top.
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Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly with your finger.
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Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto the rack to cool completely.
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Now while the cake is cooling, time to make the caramel.
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Bring the boiled cider syrup and brown sugar to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream and return to a boil.
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Boil for 2 more minutes then drop the heat to low. Add the butter one pat at a time, whisking it in until it’s fully incorporated. When all of the pats of butter have been added and incorporated, pour the hot caramel into a clean pint jar, reserving any excess for drizzling over the cake.
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Let cool completely. (The apple caramel will also make an excellent ice cream topping).
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Bring the maple sugar, butter, and milk to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
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Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar. Continue whisking it gently until smooth, cooled slightly and thick, about 3-5 minutes.
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Pour the still warm icing over the completely cooled cake. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes.
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Drizzle the cooled apple caramel over the cake.
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Spoon on a little more of the apple caramel and top with some toasted walnuts. I am quite sure that this dessert will become a fall favorite; I know it has become one of mine.
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Enjoy!
There are three different components to making this cake. Each brings a different level of flavor to the cake, and I highly recommend all three. This cake however would be good served with just the icing, omitting the caramel topping to save some time.
If you do not have a source for boiled cider syrup it is easy to make, it just requires additional time. You might want to make the cider syrup the day before you make the cake.
To make cider syrup, boil apple juice (not apple cider) over medium heat until reduced to a thick “syrup”. I boiled one-half gallon of juice for about 2½ hours to reduce it to less than a cup of syrup. As the juice reduces, lower the heat to a slow boil to prevent scorching.