Perfect Pumpkin Layer Cake Recipes

PERFECT PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and placing a wax or parchment paper circle into the bottom of each one. Measure the cake flour by spooning into your measuring cup and leveling it. Place it into a medium sized bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Whisk together and set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in white and brown sugars and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium-high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the buttermilk in a steady stream and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
• Pour batter evenly between the cake pans (fill them no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for ten minutes before removing and continuing to cool on a wire rack or flat surface.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on high until light, fluffy, and uniform (no lumps), about five minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt, mixing on low for another 30 seconds.
• Once the Pumpkin Cake layers have cooled completely, fill and frost the layers with Cream Cheese Buttercream. To create the design pictured, divide the leftover buttercream into four separate bowls. Use food color gel of your choice to create orange buttercream in the first bowl, light blue buttercream in the second, and brown buttercream in the third, keeping the last bowl uncolored. Fit three piping bags with Wilton Tips 8B (for the larger pumpkins) and 4B (for the smaller ones), then fill them with the orange, blue, and white buttercreams. Pipe pumpkins in a crescent moon design on top of the cake, then pipe a dot of brown buttercream on top of each one to look like stems. Finish the cake by pressing toasted cake crumbs** onto the sides and sprinkling them over the top (recipe in the notes below).

PERFECT PUMPKIN CAKES

Steps:

• For the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut off the stem end from the pumpkin to create a flat surface. Set the pumpkin cut-side down, slice it vertically in half and scoop out the seeds. Lightly oil the pumpkin with the olive oil. Set the pumpkin halves flat on the baking sheet and roast until easily pricked with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before scooping out the flesh. Transfer the pumpkin flesh to a food processor and puree until completely smooth. Measure out 2 cups of the puree. Reserve the remainder for another use.
• Lightly grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree and eggs, and mix together. Next, add the brown sugar, canola oil, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, clove and nutmeg, and mix together. Add the flour and slowly beat it into the mixture.
• Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing the cakes from the tin.
• For the glaze: In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cinnamon and 1 to 2 tablespoons water, and mix thoroughly. Brush or drizzle the glaze onto the cakes.

PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush two 8-inch round cake pans with butter; line with parchment rounds. Butter parchment; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
• With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin; add vanilla and ginger. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of buttermilk; beat until just combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until cakes are golden brown, edges pull away from sides of pans, and a cake tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks to cool completely.
• Place bottom layer on a cake stand or platter, and spread evenly with half the frosting. Top with second layer, and spread remaining frosting over top. Top cake with some quince-ginger compote, and serve remainder on the side.

PUMPKIN PIE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the pumpkin filling: Combine the milk, pumpkin, granulated sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla, pie spice and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until bubbles start to form around the edges, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking, whisking constantly and getting into the corners of the saucepan, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl; press plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until cooled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter the paper. Lightly dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess. Combine the flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk in two batches; beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter between the 2 pans. Bake until light golden brown on top and the center springs back when gently pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove the cakes to the racks to cool completely. Remove and discard the parchment.
• Put 1 cake layer on a cake stand or platter. Spread the pumpkin filling on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with the second cake layer.
• Make the whipped cream: Combine the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, milk powder and vanilla in a large metal bowl (for the best results, chill the bowl beforehand). Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Spread the whipped cream all over the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 20 minutes. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice before serving.

PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 6-inch round springform pans.
• Combine sugar, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves, and ginger into a separate bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in pumpkin until well blended. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake layer comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Cut rounded tops off of cooled cakes with a large, serrated bread knife so they are flat and even.
• Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Whip until there are absolutely no lumps; this may take up to 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Place 1 tier of cake onto a serving plate. Frost the top liberally; place second tier on top. Generously frost the entire cake. Stick almonds gently by the handful onto the sides of the cake.

GANACHE-TOPPED PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper., In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in pumpkin. In another bowl, whisk flour, pie spice, baking powder and salt; fold into egg mixture. Transfer to prepared pans, spreading evenly., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; remove paper. Cool completely. , For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. In another large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until blended; fold in whipped cream. Spread between cake layers. Refrigerate at least 1 hour., Place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth; cool slightly. Press plastic wrap onto surface of ganache; cool to room temperature. Spread over cake. Refrigerate until serving.