Recipes & Cooking Desserts & Baking Cakes Caramel Spice Cake 5.0 (1) 1 Review Fall baking tastes like THIS decadent caramel poke cake. We take it to the next level with cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 10, 2018 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 25 mins Stand Time: 30 mins Bake Time: 25 mins Cool Time: 1 hr Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 10 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients ¾ cup butter 3 eggs 1 cup packed brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon vanilla 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 ⅓ cup buttermilk or sour milk* 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts ¾ cup purchased caramel ice cream topping 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (see recipe, below) Cream Cheese Frosting ½ 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened ¼ cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ¾ cup powdered sugar Directions Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour two 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set pans aside. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugars, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl. Add pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat for 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of the nuts. Spread batter in the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans; set on wire racks with top sides up. Using a wooden skewer, poke warm cakes evenly across the top at 1-inch intervals. Spoon 1/4 cup of the caramel topping over each cake, spreading evenly. Cool cakes completely. To serve, set one cake layer, caramel side up, on a cake plate. Spread top with half the Cream Cheese Frosting. Top with remaining cake layer, caramel side up. Spread with remaining frosting, leaving sides of cake unfrosted. Sprinkle top of cake with remaining nuts. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup caramel sauce. Serve cake within 2 hours or cover loosely and chill until ready to serve. Cream Cheese Frosting In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency. *Making Sour Milk Add 4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar to a 2-cup glass measure. Add enough milk to equal 1 1/3 cups total. Let stand for 5 minutes before using. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 707 Calories 32g Fat 98g Carbs 8g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 10 Calories 707 % Daily Value * Total Fat 32g 41% Saturated Fat 15g 75% Cholesterol 117mg 39% Sodium 621mg 27% Total Carbohydrate 98g 36% Total Sugars 67g Protein 8g 16% Vitamin C 0.5mg 1% Calcium 124mg 10% Iron 2.3mg 13% Potassium 193mg 4% Fatty acids, total trans 1g Folate, total 69.7mcg Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg Vitamin B-6 0.1mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.