A Very Huge Pumpkin Layer Cake - with toffee pecans and cream cheese frosting

This can be a big-format Pumpkin Layer Cake sandwiched with cheese frosting (not too candy!), littered all over (and on) with the flicker and crunch of crushed toffee pecans. Serves 20 to 48. For those who want me, I’ll be within the fridge with a fork!

Toffee Pecan Cream Cheese Pumpkin Layer Cake

An enormous four-layer Pumpkin Cake!

That is the form of cake you make for gatherings however secretly hope to maintain beneath a dome all week (not that any dome is large enough for this), slicing your self slivers each time the craving strikes.

We’re speaking 4 tender layers of cinnamon pumpkin cake, every smothered with a cream cheese frosting that’s creamy and tangy fairly than cloying, with a sprinkle of finely chopped toffee pecans in each layer for some welcome textural distinction and addictive pops of nutty sweetness.

There’s a good quantity of frosting in each single chew, so that you’ll be additional joyful to find that it’s not too candy with lower than half the sugar of conventional cream cheese frostings.

And it’s BIG!

40cm/15″ lengthy, 8cm / 3.2″ excessive and weighs 2.5kg (5 lb), to be precise. That is one made for gatherings!

Minimize into 16 thick slices for critical cake monsters, 20 common servings, as much as 48 in petit 4 type which quickly grew to become one in every of my favorite issues about this cake. Extra on this under!

UPDATE: A reader requested if she may halve the recipe, and it dawned on me that it’s an excellent method to make a smaller model of this. Bake the cake on one tray, reduce into 4 items!

Components

There are 3 elements to this cake:

The pumpkin cake layers – based mostly on my Pumpkin Cake recipe which I initially bought from a reader a few years in the past, and I’ve been loyal ever since! It’s an oil based mostly cake, hand combined with a whisk, and it’s distinctive: terrific tender crumb that stays contemporary for five days. Baked on 2 trays that are every reduce in half to make 4 layers – see FAQ for different baking pan choices and shapes!
Cream cheese frosting – not too candy! The primary model I made used my common cream cheese frosting and this cake was means too candy.
Toffee pecans – with so many layers of sentimental cake and creamy frosting, I simply felt like this cake was screaming out for some texture. I may’ve gone plain pecans (and also you completely can), however I assumed an attention-grabbing cake like this deserved a little bit of sparkle and crunch, so I toffeed them!

1. Pumpkin PUREE OPTIONS for the cake

I take advantage of contemporary as a result of canned pumpkin isn’t simple to seek out in Australia, it tastes higher and takes 8 seconds to puree. 🙂 However canned works completely nice!

2. OTHER CAKE INGREDIENTS

I’ve tried utilizing extra spice combos previously, however I preserve coming again to simply plain cinnamon. I like that it enhances fairly than overwhelms the pumpkin flavour. Easy is finest!

Flour – Plain / all-purpose flour. I don’t suggest utilizing self-raising flour (additionally known as self-rising flour) because the flour-to-baking-powder ratio used on this recipe is particularly to make sure the cake rises flat fairly than doming.
Oil – Any neutral-flavoured oil comparable to canola or vegetable. Utilizing oil as an alternative of butter retains the cake moist as a result of butter corporations up at room temperature, whereas oil stays liquid. That’s why oil-based muffins keep softer for longer. The trade-off, in fact, is flavour – butter at all times wins on that entrance! However on this cake, the pumpkin and cinnamon deliver sufficient that I don’t miss the butter one bit.
Baking powder – Our rising agent, although I take advantage of barely lower than within the Pumpkin Cake (3 fairly than 4 teaspoons) so the cake comes out flat fairly than with a dome.
Cinnamon – For flavour! Pumpkin’s finest buddy!
Sugar – Common white sugar or caster/superfine sugar each work.
Eggs – Giant eggs (55–60g / 2 oz every), at room temperature. Room temperature eggs mix higher into the batter, providing you with a smoother, extra even crumb. (Extra on the appropriate eggs for baking right here!)
Salt – Only a contact to reinforce the flavours. Commonplace inclusion in candy recipes as of late. 🙂

3. toffee pecans

As talked about above – you possibly can skip the toffee and simply use plain chopped pecans as an alternative. Don’t skip roasting them although, it actually brings out the pecan flavour! You might even add some into the batter. 🙂

White sugar – The bottom of the toffee, it melts right into a golden, caramelised coating that hardens because it cools. Simply common white sugar, although caster sugar / superfine can even work simply nice.
Pecans – My nut of selection, as a result of it’s a traditional pairing with pumpkin cake!
Salt – Not making an attempt to make salted toffee right here, however simply sufficient to make sure the toffee doesn’t style tooth-achingly candy. It’s fairly wonderful how salt can dial down sweetness!

4. cream cheese frosting

Sure, you want two entire blocks of cream cheese frosting! I didn’t desire a buttercream masquerading as a cream cheese frosting in the present day, I wished a frosting the place cream cheese is entrance and centre as a result of that slight tang simply goes so nicely with pumpkin cake!

Additionally, dialling up the cream cheese is the rationale why I used to be in a position to dial down the sugar to half the quantity usually utilized in cream cheese frosting. 🙂

Cream cheese – Use block cream cheese, not the spreadable sort that is available in tubs (it’s too tender). If spreadable is all you will get, add somewhat additional icing sugar to agency up the frosting.
Unsalted butter – Softened to a pliable state, however not overly tender or beginning to soften.
Icing sugar (powdered sugar) – 🇦🇺 In Australia, use tender icing sugar, not pure icing sugar (that one’s for issues like royal icing, which units onerous).
Vanilla extract – For a contact of heat and flavour.
Salt – To deliver out flavours and likewise, it dials down the sweetness a bit.

Find out how to make Pumpkin Layer Cake

There’s a couple of elements to this recipe however none of them are difficult. You may as well make all elements the day earlier than then assemble the following day, when you really feel like breaking apart the method or when you stuffed up your schedule and ran out of time to complete it (who me? 😊).

1. Pumpkin cake layers

It’s nice in case your trays are barely smaller, your cake layers will simply be thicker and also you’ll have a taller cake. I don’t suggest utilizing bigger although because the cake layers will likely be too skinny.

This recipe will also be made in 20cm / 8″ or 23cm / 9″ pans to make 4 layer spherical muffins.

Line trays – Frivolously spray or grease two trays then line with baking paper / parchment paper. I take advantage of normal jelly roll pans – 38 × 25 cm / 10 x 15″ which can be 2.5 cm / 1″ deep (the muffins are 1.5cm / 0.6″ thick.

Different trays and spherical cake pan choices – see FAQ and recipe card notes for various bake instances!
Moist components – Whisk the moist components in a big bowl.

Dry components – Add the dry components into the identical bowl and whisk till included.
Divide the batter between every tray. Unfold to the corners then assertively bang the pan on the counter to unfold the batter as evenly as potential (it’s too thick to tilt/unfold).

Bake for quarter-hour in at 180°C/350°F oven, or till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clear.
Cool within the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Totally cool earlier than use.

If storing in a single day, cowl the floor with baking paper earlier than wrapping with cling wrap because the floor is cheesy. Hold within the fridge.

2. pecan toffee crumble

My failsafe toffee ideas – soften low and gradual, use a chopstick to stir fairly than a spatula and take it off the range when it’s pale golden as it should get darker as you toss the pecans. No person likes burnt toffee!

(PS For those who’re questioning why I take advantage of a chopstick – I discover it stirs extra gently for a extra even soften and there’s much less floor space for toffee to get caught to.)

Roast the pecans for 10 minutes in a 180C/350F (160C fan-forced) oven. This step actually brings out the pecan flavour so don’t skip it! Let cool on the tray for not less than 5 minutes earlier than utilizing.
Make toffee – Unfold the sugar in a fair layer in a big saucepan over medium warmth.

Stir – After 2 minutes or so, you will note the sides soften into a transparent sugar syrup. Gently stir utilizing a chopstick (or related, one thing skinny with minimal floor space) then let the sugar proceed melting, stirring two or three extra instances.
Toffee color – As soon as absolutely melted, let it change into a light-weight amber color then take it off the range.

Work quick! Add the pecans and salt. Use a rubber spatula to coat within the toffee.
Unfold the pecans in a single layer on a baking paper lined tray as finest you possibly can. The toffee begins to onerous rapidly so it may be a battle! However don’t fear if in case you have pecan clumps, a thinner layer is simply simpler to cut than big mounds of onerous pecan toffee, and cools sooner too.

Cool absolutely then break up into massive chunks by hand.
Chop – Use a knife to cut the toffee pecans. I chop about half fairly finely (I get a good quantity of “mud” which I really like!) to be used contained in the layers. Then I chop the remainder marginally bigger to make use of for adorning and serving. Bigger items contained in the cake get in the best way of slicing, I discover. Toffee is tough!

Resist consuming by the handful (it’s sweet, in spite of everything!) and put aside for assembling.

3. Not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting

Beat the cream cheese and butter for two minutes on excessive till creamy and fluffy, scraping down the edges as wanted. a minute on excessive till creamy.
Fluff it! Then add the icing sugar (powdered sugar) in 3 batches, beginning the beater on low to keep away from a snowstorm. As soon as it’s included, add the vanilla and salt. Crank the beater as much as excessive and beat for 1 minute till the frosting is fluffy.

Use instantly or refrigerate till required, even in a single day. If it’s within the fridge for greater than half-hour and the frosting turns into onerous, depart it out to come back to room temperature then give it a quick and livid beat to re-fluff.

4. ASSEMBLE

High tip: assemble on the platter you plan to serve this cake on. Keep away from having to maneuver this as soon as assembled!

Minimize every cake into half lengthways, then trim as wanted so you could have 4 equal items.

For ease of dealing with (shifting round and many others), as soon as I’ve reduce the cake I cowl each bit with a separate piece of baking paper, then invert onto the cool rack (so the paper acts as a sling to switch the cake round as wanted).
Place a bit of cake on a serving platter. Unfold with one-fifth of the frosting. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the finely chopped pecans and mud.

Frosting rationing – I take advantage of one-fifth of the frosting between every layer, then two-fifths on the highest and sides.

Repeat twice extra, then place the ultimate cake layer on high. Take care when dealing with the cake layers to keep away from breaking! Use the paper then invert, or use lengthy kitchen utensils to assist the cake items, like two offset spatulas, lengthy knives and even rulers.

For those who begin getting a Leaning Tower of Pisa scenario, simply nudge and press to make the stack as at the same time as potential. I’ve been recognized to shove bits of toffee pecans between layers to “prop” up sagging sections. Do it now earlier than you begin frosting the highest and sides – else it will get messy!
Frost the highest and sides with the remaining cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle the highest with pecan crumble (I take advantage of a few of the bigger items right here as I believe it appears nicer). Refrigerate for an hour – this helps stabilise the cake – the reduce slices as thick as you dare, and serve!

Some logistical issues

I don’t ordinarily shut a submit with a piece on cake logistics, however I really feel prefer it’s bought a spot right here as a result of it is a bit of a big, assertion cake that requires a bit extra effort than easy one-bowl muffins. 🙂 So right here we go!

It might serve 48 – The cake cuts into 48 tall petit 4 dimension items that are perfect for passing round as an after dinner deal with! Every bit is roughly 4 x 4 x 8 cm tall (1.6 x 1.6 x 3.2″). The cake is definitely fairly wealthy so actually, most individuals would most likely discover that piece adequate for dessert, particularly if the principle was substantial.

Although truly, it may have the other impact and begin a stampede as individuals attempt to seize seconds and thirds earlier than it’s all gone! 🤣

Take into consideration storage and transportation! This can be a lengthy cake – 40cm/15″ lengthy, 8cm / 3.2″ excessive and weighs 2.5kg (5 lb). It’s formidable!! 🙂 For those who don’t have a tupperware container massive sufficient, stick skewers within the cake as assist poles for a foil tent, then for additional safety wrap that in cling wrap.
Getting forward with the cake – The cake has a wonderful shelf lifetime of 5 days as a result of it’s made with oil fairly than butter. So you can also make the cake nicely forward and preserve it within the fridge till you’re able to assemble.
Making the frosting forward – The frosting will be made even two days earlier than and saved within the bowl till required. Simply take it out of the fridge and let it soften on the counter (about an hour, relying on how heat/chilly your kitchen is) then give it a swift-and-furious beat to re-fluff (about 1 minute). Then use per recipe.

And lastly, one in every of my favorite options about this cake (don’t choose me!) is that it’s terrific eaten chilly, straight out of the fridge. The cake stays tender, the frosting stays creamy, and you’ll skip the dreaded 30-minute await buttercream to thaw from rock-hard to edible – it kills me each time!

Hope you get pleasure from! – Nagi x

FAQ – A Very Huge Pumpkin Layer Cake

Right here is an unstructured thought-dump on how creating this cake!

A while in the past, I noticed a intelligent layered carrot cake made utilizing sheets pans on Instagram by Pancake Princess, a baking web site. It jogged my memory of the long-lasting Cooks Illustrated Carrot Cake which I’ve made previously!

I liked the concept of constructing a cake in a layered loaf-form fairly than spherical, and I initially wished to attempt a chocolate-cream model of this (it will look so good!), However, it’s October, there are pumpkins in every single place (Halloween!), so I had it in my head that I wished to do a pumpkin recipe.

So pumpkin layer cake it’s!

I’ve already shared a traditional Pumpkin Cake recipe, a recipe I acquired from one in every of my first common readers (Dorothy from Tennessee!) so I wished to make one thing completely different and somewhat extra Look At Me! We’re approaching festive season, in spite of everything – Thanksgiving! Christmas!

From there, utilizing cream cheese frosting was a no brainer as a result of it simply goes so nicely with pumpkin. Although as a result of this has a a lot larger frosting-to-cake ratio than a single layer pumpkin cake, I discovered it was means too candy utilizing common cream cheese frosting, and I wished extra tang to chop by all of the richness.

So I dialled up the cream cheese (doubled it), and in the reduction of on the icing sugar / powdered sugar to lower than half the quantity you’d ordinarily use for the quantity of frosting we’re making for this cake. The result’s a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting that I believe will likely be my go-to cream cheese frosting for spreading (it’s somewhat too tender for piping – icing sugar thickens frosting to provide it construction).

As for the Toffee Pecans, with so many layers of sentimental cake and creamy frosting, I simply felt like this cake was screaming out for some texture. I may’ve gone plain pecans (and also you completely can), however I assumed an attention-grabbing cake like this deserved a little bit of sparkle and crunch, so I toffeed them! They need to be chopped as a result of toffee is tough, and the result’s a shiny rubble of candy amber and nutty goodness that I wish to bathe on each cake I make from hereon.

Watch easy methods to make it

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A Very Huge Pumpkin Layer Cake – with toffee pecans and cream cheese frosting

An enormous four-layer Pumpkin Cake!

And it’s BIG!