Description
This Easy Pumpkin Pudding Cake is a delightful autumn dessert featuring a spiced pumpkin batter topped with a rich caramel sauce that bakes into a luscious pudding layer. Perfect for cozy gatherings, this cake combines warm spices and creamy textures, creating an irresistible treat that’s simple to prepare and wonderfully comforting.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of cloves
- 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1/3 cup 1% milk
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 1/4 cup hot or boiling water
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir these together thoroughly with a spoon to ensure even distribution of spices.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the pumpkin puree, 1% milk, canola oil, and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients. Stir well until a thick batter forms without any lumps.
- Spread Batter: Spread the prepared batter evenly into the greased pie plate or baking dish, smoothing the surface gently.
- Prepare Sauce Topping: In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup brown sugar and corn starch until there are no lumps. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the pumpkin batter in the dish.
- Make Caramel Sauce: In a separate container, stir butter into the hot or boiling water until melted and combined completely. Pour this hot mixture evenly over the brown sugar and corn starch layer on top of the batter.
- Bake the Cake: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes until the top is fully set. Note that the bottom sauce layer may jiggle slightly but should be mostly firm.
- Cool Before Serving: Allow the pudding cake to sit for 5 to 10 minutes after baking to thicken slightly and make serving easier.
- Store Leftovers: Any leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator and reheated before serving. The cake holds up well after storage.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, to control sugar and flavor levels.
- For a richer cake, substitute whole milk or add a tablespoon of sour cream to the batter.
- If you prefer a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free flour blend instead of wheat flour.
- The caramel sauce layer will be slightly jiggly when hot; it firms up upon cooling.
- Ensure the water for the sauce is boiling hot when mixing with butter to fully dissolve the sugar and corn starch.
- Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for extra indulgence.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/6 of cake)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
