Pumpkin & caramel cake

This cake uses a few shortcuts but the final result is a deliciously impressive dulce de leche and pumpkin spice-filled sponge

Prep:45 mins
Cook:30 mins

Serves 12
More effort

Nutrition per serving

kcal 542
fat 35g
saturates 18g
carbs 49g
sugars 34g
fibre 2g
protein 7g
salt 0.7g

Ingredients

80ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
450g pack vanilla or white cake mix (or make your own cake mix, see tip below)
½ x 425g can pumpkin purée
125ml full-fat milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (available from uk.iherb.com, or mix it yourself by combining ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves)
4 tbsp dulce de leche from a jar
225g full-fat cream cheese
125g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ x 425g can pumpkin purée
440ml double cream
70g pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Tip

Cake mix

If you prefer to make your own cake mix rather than using a packet, beat 200g caster sugar with 200g unsalted butter, then gradually beat in 4 large eggs. Mix 200g self-raising flour with 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice and fold into the cake batter. Gently fold in 2 tbsp full-fat milk and 210g pumpkin purée until completely combined, then bake as in the recipe.

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of two 23cm cake tins. In a big bowl, beat the oil, cake mix, pumpkin purée, milk, eggs and spice mixture until smooth. Pour the mixture into the cake tins and bake for 22-25 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins while you make the filling.
Beat the cream cheese briefly in a medium bowl until fluffy, then add the icing sugar, spice and pumpkin purée and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat or it will go runny. In another bowl, whip the cream and fold it gently into the cream cheese mixture.
When the cakes are cool, cut each one in half horizontally so you have four thin sponges. Put the bottom layer on a plate, spread with 1 tbsp dulce de leche, then smooth over a quarter of the filling. Add the next layer and repeat until you have an amazing tower of pumpkin, cake, caramel and cream, then sprinkle the pecans on top. Boom.