Pumpkin Sonora Cake with Bay Leaf Prune Caramel, Pumpkin Seed Mascarpone Mousse & Malted Brown Sugar Buttercream
I served this cake in Paso, where it was met with the kind of love that makes you want to bake it again immediately. I wanted fall flavors with a little room to wander: California prunes folded into caramel with bay leaf, jammy, salty, and herbaceous. Pumpkin in the crumb, its seed oil in the mousse—two expressions of the same fruit, familiar enough for children and with enough going on to keep the adults leaning in for another bite.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with whisk and paddle attachments
- 8-inch cake pans
- Heavy bottomed saucepan
- Heat proof bowl
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
Pumpkin Sonora Cake:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 180 g
- ¼ cup plus 2 tsp Sonora flour 35 g
- 1 cup plus 3 TBSP cane sugar 235 g
- 1¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 5 g, or 1 tsp Morton salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ cup plus 2 TBSP olive oil 200 g
- ¾ cup plus 1 TBSP whole milk 210 g
- 2 TBSP plus 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 40 g
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée 180 g
Bay Leaf Prune Caramel:
- 1½ cups pitted California Prunes 300 g
- ⅔ cup very hot water 160 g
- 2-3 small fresh bay leaves 2 g powdered bay leaf
- ½ cup plus 1 TBSP plus 2 tsp granulated sugar 120 g
- 2 tbsp water, for caramel 30 g
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, warmed 80 g
- 1½ tbsp unsalted butter 20 g
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 3 g, or ⅝ tsp Morton
Pumpkin Seed Mascarpone Mousse:
- ¼ cup plus 3 TBSP cold mascarpone 100 g
- 1¼ cups cold heavy cream 300 g
- ¼ cup plus 2 TBSP cane sugar 75 g
- 1 TBSP plus 2 tsp pumpkin seed oil
- ¼ tsp fine salt 1.4 g
Malted Brown Sugar Buttercream:
- ⅓ cup egg whites 80 g
- ⅓ cup + 2 tsp cane sugar
- ⅓ cup plus 1 TBSP packed dark brown sugar
- 1¾ cups plus 2½ TBSP unsalted butter 433 g softened and cubed
- ⅓ tsp kosher salt
- ⅓ cup malted milk powder, sifted 48 g
Instructions
- Bake the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch round cake (20 cm) pans. Sift flours, sugar, salt, leavening agents, and spices together twice. Separately, blend olive oil, milk, lemon juice, eggs, and pumpkin until smooth. Gently combine wet and dry ingredients, divide between pans, and tap pans to release air bubbles. Bake, checking at 20–25 minutes, until the centers spring back. Cool completely.
- Prepare the Prune Caramel: Steep California Prunes and bay leaves in hot water for 15 minutes. Cook sugar with 2 TBSP water until deep amber. Carefully whisk in warm cream, followed by butter. Add Prunes and steeping liquid, simmer 3–4 minutes, and remove whole bay leaves. Add salt, blend until smooth, and cool completely.
- Whip the mascarpone mousse: Mix cold mascarpone with sugar, salt, and a splash of cream. Add remaining cream and whip to soft peaks. Slowly drizzle in pumpkin seed oil, then continue whipping to medium peaks. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
- Make the buttercream: Heat egg whites and both sugars over gently simmering water, whisking until dissolved and reaching 161°F. Whip until glossy, stiff peaks form and the bowl is barely warm. Gradually beat in softened butter until smooth. Add salt and malted milk powder, then mix on low speed to remove excess air.
- Assemble the cake: Place one cooled layer on a serving plate. Pipe a tall buttercream dam around the edge. Spread Prune caramel inside, then top with mascarpone mousse. Add the second cake layer, gently pressing into place.
- Frost and decorate: Seal the sides with buttercream, apply a thin crumb coat, and refrigerate until firm. Finish with the remaining buttercream and decorate with pumpkin pieces, florals, pumpkin seed oil, or seasonal garnishes.
Notes
Storage Tip: Keep the finished cake refrigerated. Allow the buttercream to soften slightly before serving. Extra Prune caramel is delicious on toast or yogurt, while leftover buttercream can be frozen for up to three months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 1018kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 9gFat: 72gSaturated Fat: 37gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 181mgSodium: 1005mgPotassium: 427mgFiber: 3gSugar: 65gVitamin A: 4902IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 152mgIron: 2mg