If you have been following along for the past couple months, you will know that this wonderfully spiced Pumpkin Carrot Cake is the fifth and final entry I submitted to the 2019 Chicago’s Best Baker Contest. It was one of the five desserts responsible for winning me the overall title of Chicago’s Best Baker. And to be completely honest, it was one my favorite submissions to the contest.

This carrot cake tastes just like fall with its spices and pumpkin flavor. It’s like a carrot cake and pumpkin pie had a baby. It is absolutely delicious! This version is a slightly more intricate variation of the carrot cake recipe I already have on my blog but trust me…this cake is worth the effort! It is topped with crunchy pecan toffee shards, which add a fairly simple and beautiful decoration to the cake. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

I also used two kinds of cream cheese frosting which really helped push this cake over the edge. If it’s easier though, you can use one kind of cream cheese frosting and it will still be fantastic! Now, all you’re missing is a nice, hot cup of coffee and a cozy blanket.

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Ingredients for Pumpkin Carrot Cake:

All ingredients are the same as the carrot cake on this post, except for the following:

2 cups (220g) shredded carrots
½ cup (115g) pumpkin puree

Making the Cake:

Refer to my Carrot Cake post for instructions for how to make this cake.

Add the pumpkin puree with the shredded carrots and pecans. Then, mix to combine.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

All ingredients and the method are the same as the recipe in the Carrot Cake post.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

Ingredients for White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

One 3.5oz (113.5g) bar of white chocolate
1lb (454g) cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (3.5g) vanilla extract
1⅔ cups (191g) powdered sugar

Making the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

Start by sifting your powdered sugar in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Cut the white chocolate into small pieces and melt in the top bowl of a double boiler over simmering water. Cutting the chocolate into small pieces ensures the chocolate will melt quickly and will decrease the chances of scorching the white chocolate. Stir frequently until chocolate is melted, then remove the bowl from the double boiler and set aside to cool.

Beat cream cheese and butter together using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer. You can also use a large bowl with a hand mixer. Beat ingredients for approximately one minute at medium speed until smooth and evenly incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl to ensure all cream cheese is incorporated.

Add the slightly cooled white chocolate and stir on low speed until combined. If the white chocolate is too hot, it can melt the butter and change the consistency of the frosting.

Next, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and stir to combine. While the mixer is on low speed, add the powdered sugar in 2-3 additions so it doesn’t end up all over your kitchen. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until smooth and creamy.

I have found in the past, that cream cheese frosting can be difficult to smooth on the outside of a cake because the frosting is really “sticky”. In other words, as I use my smoothing tool, the frosting will “stick” to the tool and drag into the frosting on the cake, which has made it difficult to get a smooth appearance. If you notice that the frosting sticks to spatulas more than a buttercream would, add an additional ¼ to ½ cup of powdered sugar to help the consistency.

Use the frosting immediately on a room-temperature cake or store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When storing the frosting, cover with a piece of plastic wrap touching the top of the frosting to avoid a crust forming. This frosting tends to crust quickly. If using the frosting from the fridge, allow it to come to room temperature so it spreads more easily.

Ingredients for Pecan Toffee

1⅓ cups (200g) pecans, chopped
1 stick + 2.5 Tbsp (150g) unsalted butter
1¾ cups + 2 Tbsp (375g) granulated sugar
¼ cup + 3 Tbsp (100g) water
3 Tbsp + 2 tsp (75g) light corn syrup
1 tsp (4.8g) baking soda
1 tsp (3g) kosher salt
1 tsp (5.6g) vanillapaste¹

Making the Pecan Toffee

Begin by placing chopped pecans into a pan on the stove at medium heat. Stirring constantly to avoid burning, toast the pecans until they become a little darker in color and smell strongly of pecans. You can also put the nuts on a sheet pan and toast them in the oven at 350°F/177°C until they take on a little color (approximately 10 minutes). Remove the pecans from the stove AND the pan (nuts can burn easily if left unattended while toasting or in the pan after toasting has completed). Allow nuts to cool completely.

Place a sheet of parchment paper (I love pre-cut parchment paper sheets because they are super quick and easy to use) into the bottom of a half-sheet pan. Set a second sheet of parchment paper or a silpat (i.e., silicone parchment paper) next to the pan.

Measure out all ingredients and have them prepared ahead of time. When making caramel, timing is important so having your ingredients prepared will decrease stress.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan (minimum 2-quart size) over medium heat. Gently stir in the sugar, water, and corn syrup using a silicone spatula until the sugar has dissolved. Add the candy thermometer to the pan and increase the heat to high.

Cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 310°F/154°C on a candy thermometer. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Be very careful when adding the baking soda because it will cause the caramel to bubble up vigorously. Do not get burned! Continue to cook the caramel until it reaches 320°F/160°C. This usually takes seconds, so don’t take your eyes off of it.

Remove the pan from the heat and the candy thermometer from the pan (place it on a heat resistant surface). Quickly stir in the vanilla paste and chopped, toasted pecans using a clean silicone spatula.

Quickly and carefully pour the toffee onto the prepared sheet pan. Use the spatula to roughly spread the toffee. Then, cover the toffee with the second sheet of parchment paper/silpat and use a rolling pin to smooth it out. Do not press too hard while rolling, because you can squeeze the toffee over the side of the parchment paper and burn your fingers. Allow the toffee to cool completely at room temperature (approximately 4 hours).

This toffee can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month, although it has never lasted that long in my house! If the toffee is left uncovered in a humid environment, it tends to get sticky and soft.

Assembling and Decorating the Pumpkin Carrot Cake:

Begin by leveling the top of each 9” cake (if necessary) and torting them (i.e., cutting the cake in half horizontally so there are two layers). You should end with a total of 4 layers. Set the bottom of one of the cakes aside. This will be the top of your cake.

Spread a small amount of frosting in the middle of the cake plate. This helps “glue” the cake to the board to minimize movement. Then, place a layer of the cake on a cake board and spread a quarter-inch layer of spiced cream cheese frosting on top of the cake.

Repeat two more times (i.e., cake, frosting, cake, frosting). For the last layer, use the cake you previously set aside. Place the cake layer upside-down so the flat bottom is now the top of the cake. This will help you have sharp edges when frosting the outside of the cake.

Spread an even layer of white chocolate cream cheese frosting on the outside of the cake. I didn’t crumb coat this cake (because I was running out of time), but this carrot cake can be a little crumbly, so it’s a good idea to crumb coat the cake and put it in the fridge to chill before applying the final layer of frosting. Create a smooth frosting surface by lightly dragging an offset spatula/scraper along the edge of the cake while slowing turning the turn table.

Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Pecan Toffee Shards

Next, break the pecan toffee into large and small shards. It should break fairly easily. Place the larger shards in the top of the cake. Get creative in how you want them to look. Then, place the smaller shards along the bottom of the cake. I used pieces of different heights and angles to give movement to the border. Finish by placing a small amount of toffee into a closed Ziploc bag and crushing it using a rolling pin. This will create a toffee powder that can be CAREFULLY sprinkled around the top edge of the cake.

You now have an award-winning Pumpkin Carrot Cake that is rich, moist, and has an excellent balance of textures from the soft and tender cake and the crunchy nuts and toffee. Leave me a comment below if you have any questions when making the cake or to let me know how the recipe went. I would love to hear how it turns out!

Even though this was the last award-winning recipe that I submitted to the Chicago’s Best Baker Contest, I still have lots of delicious recipes to share on this website. Please subscribe to my newsletter to get all of my posts sent directly to your inbox!

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