Fall is one of my favorite seasons—right up there with Spring! When I first came across this cake on my social feed, I was instantly intrigued. The original recipe comes from the Smith Teamakers website, but I made a few adjustments to suit my taste and budget, swapping out their tea blend for a more affordable option. (You can find my substitutions at the end of this post!) What truly sets this cake apart is its incredible versatility. It’s perfect as a cozy dessert after dinner, a delightful companion to your afternoon tea, or even a show-stopping centerpiece for your holiday table. Its subtle flavors pair beautifully with seasonal fruits or a dollop of spiced whipped cream, creating a dessert that’s as unforgettable as the season itself.
Autumn Leaves Sticky Caramel Cake
Makes: 1 8 inch cake
Cake Ingredients
2 sachets Autumn leaves (equal to 6.5 g or 2 tablespoons)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup homemade caramel sauce
For the homemade caramel sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, softened
½ cup heavy cream
For the vanilla whipped cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ pod of vanilla beans
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 square baking pan and set aside.
In a food processor, blend the tea from 2 sachets Autumn leaves, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt on high until the tea is smaller than a grain of rice. Blend longer to your preference.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin, melted butter and sugar together. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
Pour into the prepared dish and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes.
While the cake is in the oven, make the caramel sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the granulated sugar. Continue to cook until the sugar melts, stirring occasionally with a spatula. Keep the heat low enough so that this process is fairly slow. As soon as the sugar is completely melted and the sauce is amber colored, carefully add the butter and mix until melted. Carefully add the cream and mix until melted. Set aside to cool.
Just before the cake is done baking, in a medium bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce together until smooth.
When the cake is finished baking, poke several holes all throughout the cake. Immediately pour the caramel mixture all over the hot cake and spread evenly.
Set aside to come to room temperature before turning out onto a clean plate.
For the whipped cream, beat ingredients in a standing mixer with a whisk attachment until soft peaks occur.
Serve cake at room temperature or cold from the fridge.
NOTES: I did not use the food processor, instead I ground the tea in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder-like consistency.
In place of the Autumn Leaves tea I used two tea bags of English Breakfast tea, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground clove, 1/4 tsp. ground ginger and 1/4 tsp. black chili powder. I ground these together in a mortar and pestle.
I stabilized the whipped cream by adding 1 tsp. water to 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin microwaved for 10 seconds. Add slowly to the heavy cream while whipping.Click here to add text.
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