Mini Pumpkin Cakes w/ Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp cinnamon
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

1.5 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 cups powdered sugar
2.5 Tbsp heavy cream
⅓ cup caramel syrup (I recommend Ghirardelli)
¼ tsp salt

Instructions

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line an 11 x 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper (trust me, this makes life so much easier when it comes time to remove the cake!). Grease the sides and set it aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. This step ensures your cake has just the right amount of fall flavor with the perfect rise.
Grab a large mixing bowl and an electric or hand mixer. On medium speed, mix together the eggs, pumpkin puree, white sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla until it’s all smooth and well combined. The pumpkin is what makes these cakes moist and packed with flavor
Now, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in thirds, making sure everything is incorporated. Don’t forget to scrape the sides of the bowl as you go!
Pour your batter evenly into the prepared baking sheet. Use a spatula to level it out. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once it’s done baking, let the cake cool on a rack for a few minutes, then pop it into the freezer for about 15-20 minutes to cool completely. This makes cutting the cakes much easier later.
While your cake is cooling, it’s frosting time! In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute. Then, slowly add in the powdered sugar. Pause to scrape the bowl, and add the heavy cream and caramel syrup.
Keep mixing until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. Taste the frosting, and if you want a little extra caramel flavor (who doesn’t?), feel free to add more caramel syrup. Add a pinch of salt to balance that sweetness.
Once the cake has cooled completely, grab a 2-inch round cookie cutter and cut out 18 little cake circles. These will make 9 adorable mini cakes (each cake has two layers). If you don’t have a cookie cutter, a glass with a similar diameter works just as well.
It’s time to assemble! Start by piping a generous layer of frosting on the top of the bottom cake layer. Place a second cake circle on top, and pipe more frosting onto the top. Feel free to get fancy with your piping – this is where you can really let your creativity shine!
To finish off these cuties, you can add a little whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or a drizzle of extra caramel syrup on top. Then, step back and admire your mini masterpieces before diving in!

Author: carlycampbell