Pumpkin Pecan Cake

This cake was invented for a friend of mine who was having a birthday! I asked her what her dream birthday cake would be, and she said she loves pumpkin spice, and cream cheese frosting, and nuts. Good choice, my friend, good choice indeed. My friends have such great taste.
This is what I invented for her: A moist pumpkin spice cake, frosted with a maple cream cheese frosting and garnished with toasted pecans. For a little extra somethin' special, I adorned the top of her cake with a heart made from maple candied pecans (one of my favourite treats!).

With some help from her roommate, I snuck over to her house to surprise her with a (very belated) birthday cake! She promptly stopped her vacuuming and invited me to partake in a slice. And if I do say so myself... This cake was darn delicious.

It would be totally charming in cupcake form too, I think. A perfect cake for Autumn or winter weather! 

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's cupcake recipe

You will need:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter milk
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree, or homemade if you have some kickin

Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until each is incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Lastly, fold in the pumpkin puree. 

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake in a 350 oven for anywhere between 25-35 minutes. Oven times may vary! Depending on how crazy your oven is. Regardless, your cake is done when:

a) you poke it gently and it kind of spongily springs back in response or...

b)when you insert a skewer or a toothpick, and it comes out clean , not all battery.

Try not to over bake it, because over baking is the number one crime in the kitchen. However if you find that your cake is a little dry, don't beat yourself up... that's what frosting is for! On that note...

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

You will need:

• 1 cup (8 ounce package) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) butter
• 4 cups sifted icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 
• 1/4 tsp maple extract
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Cream the cream cheese and the butter together. On low speed, gradually add in the icing sugar a bit at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the extracts and the maple syrup, then beat the frosting on a medium high speed until fluffy and delicious. :)

Candied Pecans

Pecan halves

Maple syrup

pinch of salt

I don't really give measurements, because I find that they are not required. Just use as many pecans as you want, and make sure they are evenly covered with a thin layer of syrup. The only real way to mess this up is to forget them in the oven.

Combine all of the ingredients and toss about on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about ten minutes until your house smells yummy, and the syrup has candied itself onto the pecans as if by magic!

Try not to eat them all before they make it onto the cake... this is easier said than done.

Long live the Pumpkin Spice.
<3 Lari

Pumpkin Mousse Tart

YEAH THANKSGIVING!

I am thankful for the fact that I get to make desserts.

I was extra thankful this year, because I not only got to have one thanksgiving dinner... but TWO! which also meant I got to make not one dessert... but TWO!

So much to be thankful for.

I shall post the other recipe in the near future, but for now I have a spiffed up variation on the classic dessert of pumpkin pie. Don't get me wrong, pumpkin pie is the cat's pajamas but I am always looking for unique and creative spins on the classics. So for my family dinner this year, I made a Pumpkin Mousse Tart!

This is it before it get suited up with whipped cream... looking very surface-of-strange-planet like. Hence, we cover it with whipped cream. But that is not the only reason... Thanksgiving without whipped cream is like the Mac without the Cheese.

Some notes: The crust is a chocolate spice graham cracker crust and is entirely addictive, and you may find yourself going back for seconds just because you want more crust. This was proven by my cousin and I.

This is a great dessert choice for a big family meal because the mousse part needs to chill for at least 4 hours. This way you can make it way ahead of time! Less stress.

Pumpkin Mousse Tart

Recipe from good old Martha

Chocolate Spice Graham Craker Crust:

• 9 ounces graham crackers
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup melted butter

Place everything except the butter in a food processor and pulse until everything is finely ground. Stir the crumb mixture in a bowl with the melted butter until combined. Press into a 9" spring-form pan. (If I had a tart pan with a removable bottom, I would have used that instead! So feel free to do so if you do. And if you are wondering what to get me for my birthday coming up... well now you know.) Bake at 325 until set, 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely, do not remove from pan.

Now, time to prepare the Pumpkin Mousse!

You'll need:

• 1/4 cup brandy
• 2 tbsp unflavoured powdered gelatin
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 eggs (preferably room temperature)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sour cream

In a small microwaveable bowl, pour in the brandy and 2 tbsp water, sprinkle over the gelatin and let stand for ten minutes or so to soften.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs on medium-low speed until nice and fluffy, 2 minutes or so. Meanwhile, keeping your mixer going, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup water and cook stirring occasionally over medium high heat until it reaches 245F. (Use a candy thermometer). Turn your mixer to high speed and immediately  (but carefully!) pour in the hot syrup down the side of the bowl in a thin, steady stream. (This is to avoid splashing, and also to incorporate the hot syrup with the eggs without cooking them too fast.) Continue to beat on high speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture increases in volume and turns a pale yellow colour. Meanwhile, put the bowl with the gelatin in the microwave and heat for 10-15 seconds until gelatin is dissolved and melted.

Turn mixer to low and add gelatin mixture. Add the pumpkin puree, spices salt and sour cream and stir to combine.

Pour the mousse mixture into your cooled crust, and leave it to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or even up to overnight. 

Finishing Touches!

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp skim milk powder (optional, but it's there to keep your whipped cream peaks perfect for hours... works like a charm!)

Whisk together all ingredients until you get stiff peaks. Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Run a knife or a offset spatula around the outside of your tart to release it from the spring-form pan, remove the sides of the pan and set your tart on a pretty platter or stand. Get fancy and pipe the cream however you like to cover the top of the tart. I piped little dollops all over, starting in the center and spiraling outwards, but get creative and do what you wish!

An awesome end to an awesome meal.

I <3 Thanksgiving.

XO Lari

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

IT'S AUTUMN AND I'M STOKED

GUYS. It's Autumn! I'm embracing it. Yes, I will miss summer and all it's wonderful fresh fruit, but Autumn is probably my favourite time of year. (or at least the beginning when the leaves are pretty... when it gets too brown, not so much.)

I love this time of year because of:

• PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING (especially lattes)
• big comfy sweaters
• colours like maroon, burnt orange, mustard yellow
• tights and socks
• lots of layers and scarves
• everything is just so darn beautiful
• apples, pumpkins and other squashes, cinnamon, warm beverages, pies, pears, plums etc etc etc.

Life just feels cozier.

You know what else feels cozy? Pumpkin muffins.
Make it even more cozier by adding (many) chocolate chips. Thank you Autumn, you rock.

Some notes on these: I am on the search for my favourite pumpkin muffin recipe, as I have not made them very many times at all. I tried this recipe, and they are good... but I don't know if they are the winning batch just yet. I will be trying more recipes until I find THE ONE! It's a tough job, but somebody must do it :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe Adapted from here

(I halved the original recipe, and ended up with 11 muffins)
Here's what I did:

• 1/2 all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp buttermilk*
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I started with 1/4cup, which probably would have been fine but my chocoholic self peer pressured me to put more in...)

*Don't have buttermilk on hand? Me neither. So I make it! It is super easy: For every cup of regular milk, add about 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir, and let sit for a minute or so. The milk will look gross! But this is normal. Use this ratio for any other recipes that require buttermilk.

In a bowl, whisk together the two flours, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the brown sugar, molasses, oil and egg. Next mix in the pumpkin, then the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter into paper lined muffin tins and bake at 400 (375 for hot ovens) for about 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool a bit...
Then enjoy one of the best moments about this awesome season!

Great for a snack on the road, or with a warm mug of coffee.

Happy Pumpkining!

(I hope to bring many a pumpkin recipe to the table this year)

<3 Lari