caramel pumpkin spice layer cake

So I'm typically not someone who plays with my food too frequently... but I may fall victim to talking to my food. You know "Well, don't you look tasty," or "something smells nice." But this saucy little number caused a "Well hello gorgeous!" to escape my lips... What can I say, I like food and this Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Homemade caramel is too tasty for words... except maybe, "Well hello gorgeous!" 

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake Recipe via Taste Spotting:

butter for pans and parchment liners
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 stick butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (about 1½ cups)
Cream Cheese Frosting
Caramel Sauce (this recipe by Rose Levy Berenbaum)

1. Preheat to 350°F.

2.Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with rounds of parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper, as well, then flour the parchment paper bottom and sides of the pan.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), beat on medium speed granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla until just combined (low speed on the mixer).

5. Add the flour/spice mixture to the butter/sugar/eggs mixture, stirring until just combined.

6. Divide the batter between the buttered pans. Lightly tap the pans on the countertop and smooth out the tops of the batter.

7. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pan, start to barely turn golden at the edges, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the baked cakes for 15 minutes in their pans. Flip the cakes onto wire cooling racks and peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely (upside down, so the rounded tops can flatten out a little).

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ox. cream cheese, doesn’t have to be room temperature/softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 – 3 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

1. Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but it means you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with 5 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring. Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste.

2. Make the caramel or just buy it. Whatever your heart desires. I was just up for a little challenge. 

3. Frost cake and drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the cake... Or scoop it on like I did. I mean I really like caramel.