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If you need a delicious and easy cake to serve for your friends and family then you have to make this easy brown butter pumpkin cake with whipped cream cheese and maple caramel. It super quick to make as the caramel is only maple syrup and butter and the cake is super quick to whip together, as you only need a hand whisk. The tangy whipped cream cheese adds the perfect tang to the pumpkin cake and maple caramel.
This brown butter pumpkin cake with whipped cream cheese and maple caramel is the perfect cozy fall cake. It is simple to make and is both elegant and delicious. Brown butter, maple, cream cheese and pumpkin goes perfectly together and you can serve it for any occasion.
For more pumpkin recipes, you should try Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Whipped Cream, Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese and The Best Pumpkin Cupcakes.
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WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS CAKE
- Pumpkin cake: This pumpkin cake is so soft and fluffy and full of flavor.
- Brown butter: The soft and fluffy pumpkin cake has brown butter, giving it lots of flavor that complement the pumpkin.
- Whipped cream cheese: The cake is topped with a whipped cream cheese that adds the perfect tangy flavor.
- Maple caramel: This caramel is super quick and easy to make as it's only made using maple syrup and butter.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Dark brown sugar: The brown sugar helps add extra toffee flavor to the cake.
- Baking powder : Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has a fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Egg: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking, so they come to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Butter: The butter is browned for a delicious nutty flavor.
- Pumpkin puree: Use canned pumpkin puree or make a homemade pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin spice: Use either a store bought or homemade pumpkin spice mix. See notes under the recipe for the recipe of a homemade pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice are added to the cake to enhance the pumpkin flavor.
- Cream cheese: For the cream cheese frosting I recommend using full fat cream cheese.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake this Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese and Maple Caramel. This recipe needs an electric mixer, two large bowls, a whisk and a spatula.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven. Prepare a 23 cm/9 inch springform pan lined with parchment paper in the bottom.
MAKE THE PUMPKIN CAKE
STEP 1: Start by browning the butter, over medium heat in a frying pan. Once browned, pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl and let it cool down, while preparing the other ingredients.
STEP 2: In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt and set it aside. Add the dark brown sugar to the bowl with the browned butter, and with a hand whisk, mix it together. Then add the pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract and mix it together until smooth and combined
STEP 3: Add the dry ingredients and stir it all together. Make sure there is no dry flour left in the batter. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and spread the cake batter into an even layer. Bake it for 25-28 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Then let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
MAKE THE MAPLE CARAMEL AND WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE
STEP 1: While the cake bakes, make the maple caramel. In a small saucepan, melt together the maple syrup and butter, whisking it together, using a heat proof whisk, until combined. Then let it boil for 2 minutes on medium/high heat while stirring.
STEP 5: Turn off the heat and add the vanilla bean paste and a small pinch of salt and stir it in. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool down in the fridge.
STEP 6: Once the cake and caramel has cooled down completely and you're ready to serve, make the whipped cream cheese. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, whip together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste until smooth. Add the heavy cream and whip it until it reaches medium stiff peaks and it holds its shape.
STEP 7: When ready to serve, add the whipped cream cheese on top of the pumpkin cake and even it out with a spoon. Give the maple caramel a little stir and drizzle it over the cake.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, fresh pumpkin purée works as well but just make sure it is not watery. After roasting and puréeing the pumpkin, strain or blot excess moisture. I personally prefer canned pumpkin purée, because of it convince.
Yes, make each element the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake on the kitchen counter well wrapped in plastic wrap. Store the maple caramel and whipped cream cheese in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. Once ready to serve, assemble it and enjoy.
I recommend using a cake tester or toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
HOW TO STORE
Store the cake in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. When wanting to eat it, take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes so the cake is not fridge cold. It's best enjoyed within a few days.
Other Fall Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese and Maple Caramel
Equipment
Ingredients
PUMPKIN CAKE
- 100 g butter
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice (see notes below recipe to make homemade pumpkin spice)
- 225 g dark brown sugar 1 cup
- 280 g pumpkin purée room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
MAPLE CARAMEL
- 115 g maple syrup
- 55 g butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Small pinch of salt
WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE
- 200 g full-fat cream cheese
- 75 g confectioners sugar ¾ cup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 250 ml heavy cream
Instructions
PUMPKIN CAKE
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven. Release the ring of a 23 cm/9 inch springform and add a piece of parchment paper on the bottom plate. Place the ring on top and close it over the parchment paper.
- Start by browning the butter over medium heat in a frying pan. Once browned, pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl and let it cool down, while preparing the other ingredients.100 g butter
- In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt and set it aside.180 g all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- Add the dark brown sugar to the bowl with the browned butter and with a hand whisk, mix it together. Then add the pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract and mix it together until smooth and combined.225 g dark brown sugar, 280 g pumpkin purée, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and stir it all together. Make sure there is no dry flour left in the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and spread the cake batter into an even layer. Bake it for 25-28 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a cooling rack. After 8-10 minutes, gently release the cake from the springform and let the cake cool down completely.
MAPLE CARAMEL
- While the cake bakes, make the maple caramel. In a small saucepan, melt together the maple syrup and butter, whisking it together using a heat proof whisk, until combined. Then let it boil for 2 minutes on medium/high heat while stirring. Be careful as it’s very hot.55 g butter, 115 g maple syrup
- Turn off the heat and add the vanilla bean paste and a small pinch of salt and stir it in. Transfer it to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap that touches the surface of the caramel, and let it cool down in the fridge. It takes about 1 hour.¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, Small pinch of salt
WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE
- Once the cake and caramel has cooled down completely and you're ready to serve, make the whipped cream cheese. You can also make the whipped cream cheese ahead of time. If so, once whipped together, place it in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until ready to assemble.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, whip together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste until smooth. Add the heavy cream and whip it until it reaches medium stiff peaks and it holds its shape.200 g full-fat cream cheese, 75 g confectioners sugar ¾ cup, ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 250 ml heavy cream
- When ready to serve, add the whipped cream cheese on top of the pumpkin cake and even it out with a spoon. Give the maple caramel a little stir and drizzle it over the cake. It’s ready to be served.
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