Fall has a way of luring us into the kitchen to start baking. When the leaves begin to turn, the mind wanders towards fall spices such as pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. This is that time of year when a recipe such as these mini pumpkin cakes, a perfect embodiment of the season, starts to sound extra delicious. This pumpkin cake recipe is not just perfect for fall. It’s a tradition for Thanksgiving.
These single-serving pumpkin cakes are not just any cakes. They are topped with a rich and indulgent caramel frosting made with buttercream. If you love fall flavors, pumpkin spice, AND cake, you will be in for a treat with this recipe.
Tips For This Recipe
Room Temperature Ingredients – Set your ingredients before you start and allow them time to come to room temperature. This will help the ingredients mix better, and the batter will be fluffier. Oh, and the frosting will be smoother as well. This is particularly important for the eggs and butter.
Sift the dry ingredients – For years, I didn’t understand why this step matters but after enough trial and error, I now realize that it does make an impact. Sifting prevents lumps in your ingredients. It doesn’t take long but it provides a noticed difference.
Don’t skip the cooling – Cooking the cake completely in the freezer will help you cut cleaner circles in the recipe. It will also help keep the cake from crumbling when you cut it.
How To Make Mini Pumpkin Cakes With Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
Use this list of ingredients as a checklist to gather your ingredients.
Cake Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree
- Sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla
Frosting Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
- Caramel syrup (Ghirardelli recommended)
- Salt
Tools to Gather
- Baking sheet with sides (11 x 17 inch)
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls (large and small)
- Electric or hand mixer
- Spatula (for scraping the bowl)
- Offset spatula (for leveling batter)
- Cooling rack
- Cookie cutter (2-inch round)
- Piping bag (for frosting)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk (for dry ingredients)
- Toothpick (for checking doneness)
Step-By-Step
How to make the cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven and grease or spray your baking sheet and then line it with parchment paper. Then set the pan aside.
Step 2: At this step, pay close attention to the ingredients that go into this first bowl. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the following dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. I recommend sifting the dry ingredients at this stage, but this is an optional step.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, mix using medium speed combine the eggs, pumpkin, white sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla until combined and smooth. At this point you should have two bowls of ingredients that you will start to merge in the next step.
Step 4: Working in thirds, slowly and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients you mixed in the previous steps. Working slowly, mix the ingredients until they are fully incorporated. Pausing to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Step 5: Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and level the batter.
Step 6: Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Step 7: Once baked, remove the cake from the pan and set on a cooling rack. Place in the freezer for about 15 – 20 minutes to cool completely before frosting.
How to make the frosting
Meanwhile, make the frosting by adding the butter into a large mixing bowl. Beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar to the fluffy butter until mostly combined.
Pause to scrape the sides of the bowl, add the heavy cream and caramel.
Mix until again a smooth and fluffy frosting has formed.
Taste, add the salt and additional caramel if desired. Transfer to a piping bag.
Once the cake has cooled, using a 2” round cookie cutter cut out 18 circles.
Assemble the cake by piping a single layer of frosting onto the top of the bottom layer, place the second layer of cake and pipe another coat of frosting on top.
If desired, garnish with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon or drizzle of caramel. 15. Enjoy!
Mini Pumpkin Cakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Deliciously spiced mini pumpkin cakes topped with a rich caramel buttercream frosting. Perfect for fall gatherings or as a cozy treat, these mini cakes are easy to make and packed with seasonal flavors.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1, 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2.5 Tbsp heavy cream
- ⅓ cup caramel syrup (Ghirardelli was used in this recipe)
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 11 x 17 inch baking sheet with parchment paper, grease the sides and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix using medium speed combine the eggs, pumpkin, white sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla until combined and smooth.
- In thirds, slowly and gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until fully incorporated. Pausing to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and level the batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Once baked, remove the cake from the pan and set on a cooling rack. Place in the freezer for about 15 - 20 minutes to cool completely before frosting.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting by adding the butter into a large mixing bowl. Beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar to the fluffy butter until mostly combined.
- Pause to scrape the sides of the bowl, add the heavy cream and caramel.
- Mix until again a smooth and fluffy frosting has formed.
- Taste, add the salt and additional caramel if desired. Transfer to a piping bag.
- Once the cake has cooled, using a 2” round cookie cutter cut out 18 circles.
- Assemble the cake by piping a single layer of frosting onto the top of the bottom layer, place the second layer of cake and pipe another coat of frosting on top.
- If desired, garnish with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon or drizzle of caramel.
- Enjoy!
Notes
For best results, use a thicker caramel sauce like Ghirardelli, which helps to hold the frosting’s shape. Make sure to cool the cake thoroughly before cutting and frosting for the cleanest presentation.