Pumpkin Butter Baby Cakes

Better Homes and Gardens

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  packed brown sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  cup  pumpkin butter
• 1  tablespoon vanilla
• 2  tablespoons vinegar or 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped walnuts, toasted
•  broken walnuts, toasted

• Caramel Sauce

• 1  cup  packed brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1  cup half-and-half
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1⁄3 cup light corn syrup
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°; grease twenty-four 2 1/2 inch muffin cups; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on med-high speed for 30 seconds.
4. Add sugars, beating until combined.
5. Beat in eggs, pumpkin butter, and vanilla until combined.
6. Stir vinegar into evaporated milk (mixture will look curdled).
7. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
8. Stir in 1/2 cup walnuts.
9. Spoon batter into the prepared cups, filling about 3/4 full.
10. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean.
11. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes.
12. Remove from pans; if desired, cool cakes completely on racks.
13. Caramel Sauce-in a medium heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch.
14. Stir in half-and-half, water, and corn syrup.
15. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly (mixture might look curdled).
16. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.
17. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla.
18. To serve-place each warm or cooled cake on a dessert plate; top with broken walnuts.
19. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons caramel sauce over each cake.