Thanksgiving Pumpkin Cake

Not a fan of pumpkin pie? Have no fear! Pumpkin cake is here to save the day (and your Thanksgiving)!

Last fall, I took a pumpkin cake recipe that my mom made when we were young and combined it with the creamy sweetness of both dulce de leche and white chocolate, and the end results were fantastic! I loved it so much that I made it a couple more times that season and shared it with friends, who raved about the cake also.

This year, I decided to make a few minor tweaks to try to make the cake a little fluffier. I also inverted the two “toppings” for this cake, putting the white chocolate cream cheese filling in the middle and instead using the dulce de leche topping to frost the cake. I thought it looked prettier that way and more suitable for the season. The two are completely interchangeable, however, and the cream cheese filling makes a lot, so feel free to use the two however you like.

Without further ado, I give you what I like to call “Thanksgiving Pumpkin Cake” (because Pumpkin Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling and Dulce de Leche Topping is just a bit too long to say! 😉

For the Pumpkin Cake:

• 4 eggs
• 1 c unsweetened applesauce
• 2 c pumpkin puree
• 2 c sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 c cake flour
• ½ t salt
• 2 t cinnamon
• 2 t baking powder
• ½ t soda

For the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling:

• 4 oz white chocolate baking bar
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 ¼ c heavy whipping cream
• 2-4 T powdered sugar (optional)

For the Dulce de Leche Frosting:

• 13.4 oz can dulce de leche
• 1 ¼ c heavy whipping cream

To make the cake, heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two round cake pans by greasing and flouring. Place wax paper in the form of a circle to the bottom of each pan. Set aside.

Mix together the eggs, applesauce, pumpkin puree, sugar, and vanilla. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir until just combined. Divide the batter evenly into each pan, then bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Once bake, let cool in the pan.

For the white chocolate cream cheese filling, heat the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in ten second increments, stirring between heating, until the white chocolate is melted. Add the softened cream cheese to the white chocolate and blend until combined.

In a separate bowl, whip together 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream along with the powdered sugar, if using. Once the heavy whipping cream forms stiff peaks, combine it with the cream cheese mixture and mix together using a hand mixer. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the dulce de leche frosting, blend the remaining 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks are formed, then add the dulce de leche and mix together with the hand mixer until combined.

Once the cake is at room temperature, assemble the cake by placing the white chocolate cream cheese filling on top of one cake layer, then adding the next cake layer and cover with the dulce de leche frosting. Enjoy!