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Pumpkin Layer Cake with Maple Buttercream Frosting

andrea blair cirignano | cedar baking company
This is the perfect cake for any fall season birthday or as a fun twist on classic flavors for Thanksgiving!
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Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Layer Cake Ingredients

  • ½ cup buttermilk (or 1 tsp apple cider vinegar plus whole milk to equal ½ cup)
  • 1 ¾ cups (270g) KAMUT® White Flour (or 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour)
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • 1 can pumpkin
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Maple Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 10 oz powdered sugar
  • 2 TBSP heat-treated flour
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 ½ tsp maple extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
 

Pumpkin Cake Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉ .
  • This recipe will make three 6” cakes (pictured here) or one 9” cake (which you can cut in half to make a 2-layer cake or decorate as a single layer cake).
  • Cut parchment paper to line the bottom of your pan or pans. Spray cake pan(s) with cooking spray, set parchment paper in the bottom, spray again then lightly coat with flour. Set aside.
  • Measure buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup and set aside. If using a milk and apple cider vinegar mixture, add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and fill to ½ cup with milk. Stir and set aside.
  • Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt together three times and set dry ingredients aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the eggs and both sugars. Mix on medium-high until color lightens and volume increases.
  • Reduce mixer to low speed and add oil, in a steady stream. Mix until combined.
  • Stop mixer to add canned pumpkin then mix until just combined.
  • Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix until just combined.
  • Remove the bowl from stand mixer or set aside hand mixer. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients in a few batches and fold in by hand until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Pour batter into cake pan(s). Optional: use kitchen scale to
  • Bake 6” cakes for 42-45 minutes and bake 9” cake for 55-60 minutes. Remove the cake pans halfway through bake time and wrap the edges of the pan in foil to prevent edges from browning too much.
  • Cake has finished baking when a cake tester or a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Maple Buttercream Frosting Instructions

  • Cream the butter until smooth.
  • Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar and heat-treated and cooled flour. *(see note)
  • Add the sifted sugar-flour mixture in a few additions to the bowl of the stand mixer or to the mixing bowl if using a hand mixer.
  • Measure the maple syrup in a liquid measuring cup and when the powdered sugar and butter are combined and smooth, set the mixer to low speed and slowly add the syrup in a steady stream. Mix until incorporated and then add the extracts and salt and mix until incorporated.
  • Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until the frosting lightens in color and increases in volume. Pause mixing and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • This recipe will make enough frosting for one 9” cake or one 6” 3-layer cake. Store any extra frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. To use refrigerated buttercream, let it come to room temperature and mix again using stand or hand mixer until smooth.

Notes

* How to Heat-Treat Flour:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. Spread a thin, even layer of flour on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
  3. Bake for approximately 8 minutes.
  4. Let cool completely and set aside.