How to Make Pumpkin Cake with Maple Buttercream
Do you know someone who will soon welcome a darling little pumpkin into the world? You can host a fall baby shower with adorable girl colors AND use a pumpkin theme by serving your guests pretty pumpkin cake with maple buttercream frosting.
My friend Renee, Hitch Studio owner and event planner, joined KELOLAND Living today to share fun baby shower ideas. You can watch the segment here. Her woodland theme for a baby boy is adorable too. Check out her rice Krispy bar mountains. And how fun is emoji Pictionary!?
Renee asked me to make a pumpkin cake with pink frosting to bring with her on the show. She didn’t have to twist my arm. Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors, and as a baked good, a color I’m quite fond of. Pair pumpkin with maple—and for me, that’s the quintessential fall dessert. So I sent this 3-layer pumpkin cake with maple buttercream frosting.
If you are a fan of pumpkin, you will also love pumpkin bars with maple cream cheese frosting. As a matter of fact, you could use the maple cream cheese frosting to frost the 3-layer cake in the recipe below. Just double the recipe so you can be generous with your spreading. I would probably have made today’s cake this way but buttercream can be made a little more firm to hold up on the car ride to the KELO TV segment.
A few more pumpkin recipes:
- To-live-for pumpkin butterscotch coffee cake
- Double chocolate pumpkin cake with pumpkin spice buttercream
- Pumpkin chip cookies
- KAHLÚA pumpkin chocolate cheesecake
what’s the difference between frosting, icing and glaze?
Now that the cake is back home with me, I need to figure out what to do with it…
Sweet wishes,
Pumpkin cake with maple buttercream
Equipment
- 3 8 or 9 inch round cake pans
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice, can substitute 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp cloves and ½ tsp allspice
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature, 1½ sticks
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 15 oz pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie mix
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 sticks
- 7 cups powdered confectioners sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2½ teaspoons maple extract
- red/pink liquid gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
Cake
- Heat oven to 300°F. Grease 3 round cake pans.
- In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- With an electric stand or hand mixer on medium-high speed, in a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add vanilla, pumpkin puree, and vegetable oil until completely combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Divide batter evenly into 3 greased pans. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cake is done when a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool 15 minutes and then remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze to make frosting the cakes easier.
Buttercream Frosting
- With a stand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add 4 cups powdered sugar, milk, and maple extract and beat on low speed until it's smooth. Gradually mix in 2 more cups of powdered sugar on low speed. Beat until light and fluffy, adding up to 1 more cup of powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. If desired, add a few drops of gel food coloring to all or some of the frosting (In separate bowls if you want to make an ombré effect.)
- Remove cakes from freezer and remove plastic wrap. With a long, serrated knife, slice tops off to make flat. Place bottom layer cut side down on serving plate or on a cardboard cake round (minimum of 9") on cake turntable. Spread with a layer of frosting. Place second layer cut side down onto bottom layer. Spread with frosting. Place the third cake layer top side up on the second layer. Frost top and sides with frosting.
- Store in airtight container at room temperature up to two days.
Nutrition
All text and images © Staci Mergenthal • Random Sweets
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