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Ingredients
- Gluten-free non-stick cooking spray
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided use
- 1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup chopped pecans, divided use
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 1½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum (if blend does not contain xanthan gum, add ¾ teaspoon)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups pure pumpkin puree
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided use
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 pound powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
- Melt ¾ cup butter with the brown sugar and heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring to combine.
- Reserve ½ cup of the caramel for serving.
- Divide the remaining caramel between the prepared cake pans.
- Sprinkle ¾ cup chopped pecans over the caramel, dividing them between the 2 pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1½ cups sugar, and oil.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Whisk in the pumpkin and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
- Pour the batter over the caramel and pecans, dividing it evenly between the 2 pans.
- Place the cake pans on a baking sheet (the caramel may bubble up the sides of the cake while baking) and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the cakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
- Place a wire rack over the cake pans and invert.
- Remove the cake pans and let the cake layers cool. (If the caramel has gotten too cold to turn out, place the pans in a pan of hot water for a few seconds to loosen.)
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting:
- Using an electric mixer beat the remaining ¼ cup of butter with the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and beat until smooth and fully combined.
- Place 1 cake on a serving plate, pecan side up.
- Spread with half of the frosting.
- Place the remaining cake layer on top of the frosting, pecan side up, and spread the top with the remaining frosting.
- Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of pecans on top.
- Refrigerate, covered in plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day ahead.
- To serve, warm the reserved caramel and serve on the side to drizzle on the slices of cake.
Servings
Serves 8-10
