The Cake Merchant

Pumpkin Layer Cake with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin-Layer-Cake

Happy fall! I know fall started weeks ago, but now that I’m visiting my parents in Indiana, it actually fells like it. I haven’t lived in a cold climate for almost 10 years now, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen fall colors. This year, I caught more of the tail end yellows and browns than the bright reds and oranges, but it was still nice to see. This pumpkin layer cake is the perfect fall dessert, and would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving spread.

Pumpkin-Layer-Cake

You may be wondering why you should care yet about another pumpkin cake recipe on the internet. Here’s why:

1. It’s small (only 6 inches) but really tall.
2. Swiss meringue buttercream can be made with cream cheese! (keep reading for details)
3. It looks good naked.

Let’s start with the naked part. I’ve been wanting to try frosting a cake this way forever, but I just can’t let go, and I keep frosting until I have smooth sides and a straight top. Seriously, it’s like a disease. Who knew there was such a thing as frosting OCD. Anyway, I thought fall might be a good time to experiment with a more rustic look, and luckily this time (partially because I was short on time), I didn’t overwork it.

Pumpkin-Layer-Cake

This doesn’t mean that the cake is short on frosting by any means. There are piles of Swiss meringue buttercream in between each layer. While we’re on the subject of frosting, let’s talk about this cream cheesy Swiss meringue buttercream. I was planning to make a regular SMBC with brown sugar instead of white, but when I found this cream cheese variation on Bravetart’s website, I was sold. This has to be the world’s most perfect frosting. If you think American buttercream is too sweet, you will love the subtle sweetness and caramel notes of this brown sugar frosting. And if you think SMBC is too buttery (a common complaint) the addition of the cream cheese tames the butteriness. I also added a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon, which was enough to give a good kick, but not enough to obliterate the flavor of the brown sugar. It’s truly a crowd pleaser.

Pumpkin-Layer-Cake

I’m a fan of really tall cakes, but if you want to make this and transport it somewhere, I would recommend using 7-inch pans. The 6-inch version was just a little too tall to fit in my cake caddy, and a 7-inch version would still have the tall, show stopping quality while being a little easier to transport. If you do use 7-inch pans, I would start checking the cake at around 30 minutes, as it won’t take quite as long to bake.

Pumpkin-Layer-Cake

If you’re new to or wary of Swiss meringue buttercream, here are a few links that will make your life easier.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream by Bravetart
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Demystified by Sweetapolita- this one has a step-by-step tutorial
Swiss Meringue Buttercream by Sprinkle Bakes- this one has a video tutorial
How To Fix Swiss Meringue Buttercream by Confections of a Foodie Bride- this one has trouble shooting tips that have saved me on more than one occasion. If you keep beating and the frosting just won’t come together, the microwave trick really works!

Don’t forget to wipe down all of your tools with vinegar before you start, as greasy utensils make for a weepy meringue. Also, some of these tutorials switch over to the paddle attachment at some point, but I use the whisk attachment the whole time.

Update 10/7/15: After making this frosting several times, I’ve changed the mixing method and have had much better success. I hope you will too!

Pumpkin-Layer-Cake

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Pumpkin Layer Cake with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

    For the Cake
  • 3 cups (375 grams) all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup (215 grams) golden brown sugar, packed
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 1 15 oz. can (425 grams) pumpkin puree
    • For the frosting
  • 5 ounces (140 grams) egg whites
  • 5 ounces (140 grams) golden brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces (226 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 2 inch chunks and at room temperature
  • 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • Pecans and/or cinnamon sugar for garnish (optional)

Instructions

    For the Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. Grease and line 3 6x2 inch round pans with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
  4. With an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
  5. Beat the eggs in one at a time on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
  6. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  7. With the mixer on low, beat in the pumpkin puree and flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating between them and starting and ending with the flour mixture.
  8. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 pans (I used a scale to do this) and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes.
  10. Turn the cakes out of the pan onto the wire racks and cool completely.
    11. For the frosting:
  11. In a large bowl (I used the bowl of my stand mixer), combine the egg whites, brown sugar, and salt.
  12. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk often. The water should not touch the bowl, since it's the steam that will be heating the egg whites. If they heat up too fast, you'll end up with scrambled eggs.
  13. Using a candy thermometer, heat the mixture to 160 degrees fahrenheit while continuing to whisk the mixture. 160 degrees is for food safety issues. If I use pasteurized egg whites (which I do often), i generally stop heating around 145-150 degrees until the sugar has dissolved.
  14. Remove the egg white from the heat and use a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites on medium high until stiff peaks form and the meringue has doubled in volume (about 8-10 minutes). At this point, the meringue should look stiff and glossy, and the bowl should be neutral (not warm) to the touch. If your meringue is still warm, you'll run into problems later.
  15. Turn the mixer down to low and mix in the cubes of softened butter, one at a time until they become incorporated into the mixture. If it looks curdled, keep mixing until it comes together. If it still looks curdled after 5 minutes, place the entire bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes and mix it again until it becomes fluffy.
  16. Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon and beat to combine.
  17. Once the frosting has become light and fluffy, transfer it to a separate bowl.
  18. Add the cream cheese to the mixer and beat it until it is smooth.
  19. Add the finished frosting to the cream cheese a little bit at a time until it has all become incorporated and the frosting is smooth.
    20. To Assemble the Cake:
  20. Place one layer of cake on a 6-inch cake board.
  21. Place 1/3 of the frosting one top, and use an offset spatula to spread evenly over the cake.
  22. Do the same with the next two layers.
  23. Fill in any gaps between the layer with additional frosting if you wish, and top with cinnamon sugar and pecans.
https://cakemerchant.com/2013/11/10/pumpkin-layer-cake-brown-sugar-cinnamon-cream-cheese-frosting/

Cake recipe adapted from Joy of Baking
Frosting recipe adapted from Bravetart

Comments

  2. Wow this cake is definitely a show-stopper! It looks and sounds awesome. I’ve never made a swiss meringue buttercream with cream cheese but I love the sound of that … definitely need to try that out!

    Reply

  8. Natasha, you are the queen of cakes!!! This is SO gorgeous and I love love love the rustic “naked” frosting look!!! When I first saw this, I was like OMG she made a Momofuku cake! Not quite, but maybe better. You and your frosting tips had me swooning. I rarely go for an all-out sugar and butter frosting, but I am putting this one on my list for the next time I do!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Erika! Normally I have a plan for how I want my cakes to look, but this one sort of happened organically, and it turned out a little bit Momofuku-esque. I must have Momofuku on the brain, and I need to make one of those cakes soon!

      Reply

  13. How many egg whites is 5 ounces? I think this SMBC is like the frostings we enjoyed while living in Germany. They looked way too sweet until you tasted them….WONDERFUL! Pls. Answer with email ..TKS

    Reply

  14. Hi! I just found your blog and as someone that is starting to bake more seriously i can tell you it looks beautiful and the cakes are so yummy I think I will start trying this one as it´s pumpkin and we are in autumn ajjajajajaja. XO

    Reply

    • You can leave the batter at room temperature while the other two bake, unless you are waiting a long time before baking the 3rd layer. I’ve kept it out for about an hour without a problem.

      Reply

  17. After searching for a pumpkin cake recipe for days I found one I decided to give a try, I made it yesterday. Well, it was a dense oily mess, more like a pudding if pudding had oil! So I was on the hunt again, then I came across your recipe. I thought ok I’ll give it a try. I made it earlier today & it was AWESOME! The flavor & texture was perfect! I served it with a reg. Cream cheese frosting. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  18. I don’t have any 6 x 2 pans. If I wanted to use larger pans, do I just double the recipe? Any idea how long I would keep it in the oven for?

    Reply

  19. Oh my! I made this for Thanksgiving at a friend’s house and it was a big hit. Especially the “sparse” or naked cake. The icing was so ridiculously good, and really not too sweet at all. I have never tried a meringue buttercream before this…and yes, it did curdle at one point, but thankfully you gave instructions for that event and it worked perfectly! Definelty will make again.

    Reply

  20. Made this last night for my coworkers and used two 9 inch pans. I made 1.5x the recipe to make a small cake to keep at home. I also had issues with the icing but your tips made everything perfect! The cake tastes amazing! I ended up topping the cake with some candied pecans that I had left over from another recipe (best decision ever). I only wish I had more to put between the layers! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  21. I tried this icing got curdled and looked like oatmeal how do I get it smooth? I put in the fridge and seems the butter is not incorporating properly what do I do?

    Reply

  35. This recipe is so good, I made it last weekend for a potluck at church. It was gone quickly and when I went to pick up my plate many people came and told me how yummy this cake was. The icing is to die for. I consider myself an experienced baker and cook at 65, but never have tackled a cake like this. It really wasn’t that hard, your detailed instructions made it easy. Thank you

    Reply

  38. Looks delicious, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out! I don’t have a food scale to measure out 5oz of brown sugar though. I know the volume of this would be about 2/3 cup of brown sugar, but should I do 2/3 cups packed, or unpacked? I’m open to any suggestions on the quantity without a scale – thank you!

    Reply

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