Pumpkin Caramel Cake
This Pumpkin Caramel Cake can be mixed together in minutes in one bowl. The cake is soft, has a delicious blend of spices and is filled with pockets of homemade caramel. The finishing touch to this cake is a velvety smooth vanilla frosting.

Technically this Pumpkin Caramel Cake is called a Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake, because once the cake is finished baking, you poke holes in the cake. The holes are then filled with a homemade caramel sauce. The caramel sauce soaks into the cake, making the cake extra moist. I just preferred the name Pumpkin Caramel Cake, instead.
To be honest, I’ve only had one poke cake prior to making this one. The cake was a vanilla cake filled with strawberry jello. It may sound odd, but trust me, it’s good! My mom made this cake for me when I was a little girl. Perhaps I will recreate the strawberry version for my next poke cake. For now, let’s get into the nitty gritty of baking this Pumpkin Cake recipe, shall we?
My inspiration behind the cake
Okay, I know I said we were getting to the recipe, but, don’t you want to know what I created this cake for!? I made this cake for my son’s birthday. I love the snuggly baby phase, but the toddler phase is fun, because they are like a little human and can fully interact with you. My son loved the cake. Okay, he may have liked the frosting the most, but he was so proud of his cake. Since I trained in pastry arts (aka, baking), making a special birthday cake for my kids birthday’s is always something I really enjoy. Actually I made this exact pumpkin cake, minus the caramel, and tried to make a giant realistic bear cake. It, um, didn’t exactly turn out how I planned it to be. Luckily, my son didn’t care and he LOVED that one too! We ate the bear cake with my parents, brother, sister-in-law and their kids. Let’s just say we’ve had a LOT of cake recently and I can confidently say this cake is extremely delicious as just a pumpkin cake as it is with the caramel filling. Okay, NOW, let’s get to baking!
Here’s what you need to know…
This pumpkin cake recipe is easy to make and does not require a mixer. All you need is a bowl and a whisk. If you choose to make the caramel sauce, you won’t be disappointed. However, feel free to use store bought caramel if you are short on time. Lastly, the vanilla frosting uses a blend of butter and shortening. The shortening helps to make the frosting extra creamy and fluffy, while the butter adds a nice rich taste.
Making the Cake
To make the pumpkin cake, you’ll add the oil, sugar, eggs and pumpkin. Whisk to combine. Next, you’ll add the dry ingredients. I have a little secret for you, I never sift my dry ingredients. Should I? Maybe, but honestly my cakes always turn out good and I don’t notice a difference. With three little boys 4 years old and under, I am always looking for a short cut to take here and there. This is one shortcut I feel you can do also.
Next, you’ll add in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and powder, and spices). Using a whisk, mix until combined and mostly smooth. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for roughly 20 minutes.
Making the Caramel Sauce
To make homemade caramel, you will need sugar, butter and heavy cream. You’ll begin by melting the sugar in a large pan over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon or whisk so the sugar doesn’t burn. Once melted, you’ll add in the butter. Sometimes the butter can cause the caramel to splatter and bubble, so stand back from the pan and be careful during this step. Stir, constantly until the butter is melted.
Next, you’ll add in the heavy cream in a slow, steady stream, while stirring constantly. Once the heavy cream is incorporated, allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute, or until it reaches 220F. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before using (you can put the caramel in the fridge to help speed up the cooling process). You can store the caramel in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. The caramel does harden in the fridge. Before using, just put the caramel in the microwave and microwave a few seconds to soften.
Make the Frosting
The frosting is the one thing in this recipe that I recommend using a stand or handheld mixer for. It’s just easier and helps make the frosting fluffier, faster. I like to beat the softened butter and shortening together first until creamy. Next, I add in the powdered sugar, slowly, while the mixer is mixing on the lowest speed. Add in the milk and vanilla and allow to mix until smooth and fluffy.
Assembling the Cake
Once the pumpkin cake is cool, use a dowel rod, or the handle of a spoon and poke holes in the cake. I poked 24 holes in my cake. Add the caramel to a zip-top bag. Snip a corner off the zip-top bag and squeeze caramel into each hole.
Spread the vanilla frosting over top of the cake, slice and enjoy! If you have extra caramel, you can always add some extra caramel to the slices that you serve.
If you make this Pumpkin Cake recipe, let me know what you thought in the comments and ratings below. I truly appreciate your feedback. It helps me improve my recipes for you! Also, make sure you follow me on youtube and instagram, where you can see the full baking video for this as well as some fun behind the scenes.
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Pumpkin Caramel Cake
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
This Pumpkin Caramel Cake can be mixed together in minutes in one bowl. The cake is soft, has a delicious blend of spices and is filled with pockets of homemade caramel. The finishing touch to this cake is a velvety smooth vanilla frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Caramel Sauce
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the oil, sugars, eggs, and pumpkin, Using a whisk, mix until ingredients are well combined. Add in the dry ingredients (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour). Whisk the ingredients together until just combined and batter is mostly smooth. Don’t overmix the batter. It will lead to a dense cake.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to fully cool
4. While the cake bakes, make the caramel sauce. To make the caramel sauce, add sugar to a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once sugar is melted, stand slightly back from skillet and carefully add butter into skillet (caramel can bubble when butter is added). Stir in butter until completely melted.
Once the butter is melted and combined, stir constantly and slowly pour in the heavy cream. Once the heavy cream is added, stop stirring allow to boil for 1 minute. If you want to be precise, the temperature of the caramel should reach 220F.
Remove from heat. Allow to cool before using. Caramel thickens as it sits. To speed up the cooling process, you can place caramel in the refrigerator.
5. Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand up mixer, or using a handheld mixer, add softened butter and shortening. Beat until combined and creamy. Turn the mixing speed to the lowest setting and slowly pour in the powdered sugar. Add in the milk and vanilla and beat the frosting until smooth and fluffy.
6. Assembling the cake. Using a dowel rod or the handle of a spoon/fork, poke holes in the cake. I poked 24 holes in my cake. Add your cooled caramel to a zip-top bag. Snip one corner off of the zip-top bag. If the caramel is not super thick, use your thumb and index fingers to pinch the open end of the zip-top bag so the caramel doesn’t run out. Squeeze the caramel into each hole in the cake.
Spread the vanilla frosting on the cake, slice and enjoy! If you have leftover caramel sauce, you can always add some extra sauce to the slices of cake when serving.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American