Pumpkin Pie Sponge Cake with Apple Cider Caramel and Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes a 2 layer 9-inch cake
Sponge and frosting adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Apple cider caramel adapted from Food52
For Pumpkin Pie Sponge:
1 cup almond flour
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¾ cup olive oil
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1½ teaspoon vanilla
For Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
For Apple Cider Caramel:
1½ quarts (6 cups) apple cider (good quality is recommended as the taste and ingredients of the apple cider will be the same as in the caramel)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For Pumpkin Pie Sponge:
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch circular baking pans. Sift the almond flour and regular flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk everything together until well combined and the mixture takes on a single color and consistency.
In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, add the olive oil, eggs, brown sugar, sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer, whisk, or fork, beat the mixture until well combined. This means the eggs have been well incorporated and there are no sugar clumps remaining.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix until everything is completely combined and there are no more flour chunks. Make sure to scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl to get all of the mixture incorporated. The mixture will be relatively thick once it’s ready.
Once you’re ready to bake, divide up the mixture and pour the batter into the two baking pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
When handling and making the final cake, it’s best if everything has had time to chill and cool, so put the sponges in the fridge. If your sponges are still warm when assembling, it will melt the frosting and the caramel.
Once the sponges have cooled, take a long knife, and cut each sponge in half and drizzle a generous amount of apple cider caramel over each half. If the caramel has cooled, warm it up a bit before using to make things easier. Put the sponge halves back together and let them cool again in the fridge.
Once cooled, add a layer of vanilla cream cheese frosting to the top of your designated bottom sponge and put the top sponge on top. Add vanilla cream cheese frosting to the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with any additional apple cider caramel you still have.
Serve the cake either cool or room temperature.
Enjoy!
For Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a medium sized bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. You’ll know when you’re done because the consistency will start to look like frosting. This can also be done by hand, but it’ll be a workout!
Add in the sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until there no more sugar granules in the mixture and everything is smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Refrigerate and set aside.
For Apple Cider Caramel:
In a medium saucepan, pour the apple cider and turn the stove to medium heat. Bring it to a boil and let it continue boiling until the liquid reduces and the mixture forms a caramel. The precise timing for this varies, but you’ll need 1-2 hours (I recommend that following the 1 hour mark, check in on your caramel every 10 minutes). The point at which you take the caramel off is up to you, but remember, the caramel won’t be super thick in the sauce pan because it’s boiling so make you sure you don’t let it boil too long or you’ll get hard caramel candy (which also isn’t a bad thing).
No need to stir the cider, but feel free to scrap the sides as the cider reduces.
Once you like the caramel consistency, take the caramel off the heat, so it stops boiling, and add the butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir everything and make sure the butter melts. If there isn’t enough residual heat from the pan and the caramel, put it back on the stove for a few more minutes to let everything melt.
Let the caramel cool a bit before using. You can also store it in the fridge. If you do that, heat the caramel up a bit before using on the cake.
