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Pumpkin Chocolate Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream

Layers of pumpkin and chocolate cake filled with brown sugar buttercream and topped with some ooey gooey caramel!
Author The Cupcake Chronicles

Ingredients

Chocolate cake

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup brewed coffee

Pumpkin Cake

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree

Buttercream

  • 3 sticks unsalted butter softened
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 TBS vanilla extract
  • 3-4 TBS milk

Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 6 TBS salted butter room temperature

Instructions

  • preheat oven to 350 F and line 5 six inch cake pans with parchment paper

chocolate cake

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add in eggs and extracts and mix until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
  • In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder and cocoa powder. Turn the mixer to low and alternate between adding the milk and the bowl of dry ingredients.
  • Mix until everything is combined. Slowly add in the coffee.
  • Divide the batter between the 3 pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Pumpkin cake

  • Beat together sugar, oil and eggs until combined
  • Slowly add in flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon
  • Stir in the pumpkin
  • Divide between 2 six inch cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean

Buttercream

  • beat butter until light and fluffy in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment
  • Slowly add in the powdered sugar and brown sugar
  • Add in the vanilla extract. Add in milk until desired consistency is reached

Caramel Sauce

  • In a saucepan over medium high heat, whisk the sugar until completely melted. It will get clumpy but then melt into a liquid.
  • Once melted let the caramel cook until a nice amber color is reached. Only a couple of minutes.
  • Take off the heat and whisk in the butter until completely melted.
  • Slowly pour in and whisk the heavy cream
  • Let cool before transferring to a heatproof container. It will thicken as it cools.

Assembly

  • Level your cakes so they are flat. Start with a pumpkin layer on the bottom and top with a layer of the brown sugar buttercream, top with a chocolate layer and repeat until all layers are used. You can frost the whole cake or leave it naked like we did.
  • Drizzle with the caramel sauce and enjoy!

Notes