Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting
This brown butter pumpkin cake is fall baking at its best. Warmly spiced and super moist, it’s layered with silky butterscotch cream cheese frosting and finished with a generous drizzle of homemade butterscotch sauce. Cozy, comforting, and perfect for a crisp fall day!
Equipment
- 3 8-inch round cake pans
- parchment paper
- small saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- measuring cups & measuring spoons
- rubber spatula
- Whisk
- stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer)
- cake plate
- serrated knife
- offset spatula
Ingredients
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (220g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 15-ounce can (425g) pumpkin purée
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 2 ½ teaspoons ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
Butterscotch Sauce
- ¼ cup (½ a stick, 57g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (115g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (120g) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 (8 ounce) blocks cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups (230g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup butterscotch sauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Brown the butter: Cut the butter into chunks and melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat. The butter will melt, then begin to bubble and foam before turning golden brown. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom so it doesn’t burn. Once it’s a deep golden color and smells nutty, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Once the browned butter has cooled slightly, stir in both sugars until combined. Add the eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure no dry spots remain, but don’t overmix—this keeps the cake tender.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. For the most accuracy, use a kitchen scale — each pan should have about 540 grams of batter. You can also use a measuring cup or cookie scoop to portion it evenly. Smooth the tops and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10–15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Homemade Butterscotch Sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and combined. (It may look slightly separated at first, that’s okay!)
- Once melted, bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Let it boil undisturbed for 5 minutes. You can lightly scrape down the sides if needed, but avoid stirring or whisking as this can cause the sauce to turn grainy once cooled.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes before stirring in the vanilla extract and salt. Allow the sauce to cool completely, then transfer to a bowl or jar and set aside while you make the frosting.
Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Cut the room-temperature cream cheese into pieces and add it to the butter. Mix on medium speed until smooth and completely combined, with no lumps of cream cheese remaining.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well combined.
- Pour in the 1/2 cup of butterscotch sauce, vanilla, and salt, then mix on medium-low speed until the frosting is creamy and well combined. Cover and refrigerate until the cakes are completely cooled and ready to frost.
Assembly
- Level the cooled cake layers with a serrated knife.
- Place the first layer on a cake plate or stand. Add about 1 cup of frosting and spread to the edges.
- Drizzle with ⅓ of the butterscotch sauce, then top with the second cake layer. Repeat, then add the final layer on top.
- Smooth the excess frosting around the sides to create a crumb coat. Chill for 15 minutes to let it set.
- Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
- Drizzle the last ⅓ of the butterscotch over the top, letting it drip down the edges. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- This cake can also be made as a sheet cake in a 9x13 pan or by using two 8-inch round cake pans.
- Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese for the frosting are softened at room temperature for a smooth and silky texture.
- Adjust the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting to your liking by adding more or less powdered sugar. I prefer it less sweet, but feel free to taste and adjust.
- Cake layers can be made a day ahead and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
- Frosted cake can be stored in the fridge for 3–4 days.
- Butterscotch sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Gently reheat before serving.