Mini Pumpkin Praline Upside Down Cakes

These Mini Pumpkin Praline Upside Down Cakes are the perfect little dessert for the fall season this year! They’re a delightful combination of pumpkin and praline flavors!

Step-By-Step Instructions

The first step is to make your praline topping. You’ll melt the butter, and then dd the brown sugar and the maple syrup. Once the mixture begins to boil, cook for 45 seconds, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans and the vanilla. Pour evenly into your prepared ramekins and set aside.

The second step is to make your pumpkin cake batter. You’ll whisk together your cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves. 

Next up, you’ll beat the canola oil, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed, then add the maple syrup and the pumpkin purée, followed by the flour mixture until just combined. Make sure not to overmix.

The last step is to spoon the batter evenly into the ramekins smoothly with a spatula. Bake for 35 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of cake (not down to the topping) comes out clean. You will transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Invert the cakes onto serving plates, scraping any remainder of topping onto top of cakes.

These mini cakes have a topping that’s to die for. A combo of maple syrup, butter, brown sugar, pecans and vanilla atop an incredibly moist pumpkin cake flavored with warm cinnamon and pure pumpkin make for a delicious cake that autumn dreams are made of!

I love to serve mine warm with some fresh whipped cream on the side or on top. Soooooo good!

Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Praline Upside Down Cakes

Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Servings: 6 Mini Cakes

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These Mini Pumpkin Praline Upside Down Cakes are the perfect little dessert for the fall season this year! They're a delightful combination of pumpkin and praline flavors!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Ingredients  

Topping

• 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Pumpkin Cake

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
• fresh whipped cream, if desired

Instructions 

Topping (approximately 2 cups)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray six one cup ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and the maple syrup.  Decrease the heat to medium and stir until the mixture begins to boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, cook for 45 seconds, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans and the vanilla. Pour evenly into the prepared ramekins. Set aside.

Pumpkin Cake (approximately 3 cups batter)

• In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the canola oil, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the maple syrup and the pumpkin puree.
• Add the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter evenly into the ramekins smoothly with a spatula. Bake for 35 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of cake (not down to the topping) comes out clean.
• Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Invert the cakes onto serving plates, scraping any remainder of topping onto top of cakes. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream if desired.

Notes

The ramekins I used for the recipes are one cup in size.

Before adding the topping mixture to your ramekins, spray the ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

Evenly divide the topping mixture among the ramekins and then add 1/2 cup of the pumpkin cake batter to each ramekin.

Cool your cakes for only 5 minutes before turning upside down onto your plates. If any of the topping remains in the ramekin, just scoop out with a spoon onto the top of the cake.

Keyword: cake, Pumpkin

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert