Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
Make this Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake, featuring pumpkin cake layers, coffee and cream cheese filling, and a ganache 'coffee' drip!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 734kcal
Equipment
- 1 empty Starbucks cup (optional; to decorate)
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Layers
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
- 1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 3-5 Tablespoons whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
Coffee Cake Filling (optional)
- ¼ cup instant espresso powder (granulated instant coffee crystals may not dissolve in the frosting)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Drip & Decorations
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1-2 small drops brown gel food color
- 1 cup chocolate-covered espresso beans (I chopped about ¾ cup and used the rest to decorate the top of the cake)
- 10-15 pumpkin mellowcreme candies (optional)
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8 inch round pans with baker's floured spray (or grease and line with parchment rounds).
- Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined. Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Pour in eggs, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix the pumpkin puree into the buttermilk and pour the mixture into the dry ingredients in two installments, on a low speed. Add in vanilla and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
- Bake for 35-37 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your frosting!)
- Once the layers have fully cooled, they can be leveled and any caramelized bits can be trimmed from the sides / top of the cake using a serrated knife if desired. Be sure the layers are completely cooled or chilled before trimming - if you try to trim the layers while they’re still warm, they will crumble and break.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
(Filling - optional)
- (To add a bit more flavor between the cake layers, I added ¼ c of instant espresso powder, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to about ¾ cup of frosting to fill the cake. Optional but recommended! You can also just spread frosting between the cake layers.)
Assembly
- Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Pipe a rim of cream cheese frosting around the outer edge, and spread the coffee filling in the center.
- Sprinkle a few chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans over the filling, and add your next cake layer on top. Repeat the process, adding your last cake layer on top.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like - a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer.
- Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge or frosting for 10-15 minutes so it's cold enough to set the cake drip.
White chocolate ganache drip
- Place heavy cream and white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on 50% power in 30-second intervals until smooth, stirring in between. Stir in espresso powder and gel food coloring.
- When your ganache has cooled to a moderate temperature – it should feel slightly warm and still be fairly liquid – transfer it to a squeeze bottle or piping bag. (I usually find a squeeze bottle or piping bag work the best for this ganache since it’s a touch runny until it sets, but you can use a spoon or even a small cup.)
Okay! Time to decorate!
- Press the empty Starbucks cup into the top of the cake at an angle, leaving a bit of room to drizzle ganache underneath.
- Slowly drizzle ganache underneath and then away from the coffee cup, letting it fall in a few drips off the edge of the cake.
- Transfer remaining frosting to a piping bag and decorate with frosting swirls, chocolate-covered coffee beans, and a few pumpkin candies if you'd like! Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.)
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 734kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 32g