more pumpkiny goodness

[phineasjones]

for wax, jj and anyone else who wants them:


pumpkin-cocoa cake.

this is unusual and insanely good. like, really really good. mmm mm.

1/4 lb (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 eggs (or equivalent egg replacer)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP cocoa
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (hm, wax, do y'all have this? if no, it's just a combo of the spices listed below in the pumpkin pie recipe)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (1 cup canned, thinned with 1/2 cup water)

- preheat oven to 350 (heh, F)
- in large bowl, cream butter til fluffy. add sugar.
- continue to beat, scraping sides, until light brown in color and very fluffy
- add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Beat until creamy and fluffy.
- in large sifter, place flour, baking powder, soda, cocoa, spice and salt. sift into large bowl.
- while mixing, alternately add dry ingredients and pumpkin puree. batter should be thick and creamy.
- divide evenly between two 9 inch diameter cake pans that have been greased and floured and have bottoms lined with greased, floured wax paper circles. smooth surface to level.
- bake in the middle of oven until cake springs back when lightly touched with finger and wooden pick inserted in center comes out dry, about 25 minutes.
- remove from oven and let cool in pans til room temp.

this cake is tasty plain or with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a light citrusy frosting. mmm.



pumpkin bread/muffins

i just put bread recipes in muffin tins and cut the baking time a little. i know that's not exactly what makes a muffin, but it works for me. (i would double the recipe for muffins so you can really fill a tray)

1 2/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup shortening (or margarine)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs (or replacer)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup water

-heat oven to 350
-mix dry ingredients
-cream shortening, sugar and vanilla
-add eggs one at a time
-beat thoroughly
-stir pumpkin into shortening mixture
-add dry ingredients in 4 parts, alternating with the water and mixing
-mix until just smooth
-bake in greased bread (or muffin) pan for 45-55 minutes (more like 30 for muffins)


pumpkin pie

(you good with a crust recipe, wax?)

filling:
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup soymilk (haha, i guess regular milk would probably work, huh?)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 to 1 TBSP dark molasses, or to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice

-preheat oven to 425
-mix all filling ingredients in a blender until smooth
-pour into crust, smooth top
-bake 10 minutes
-reduce oven temp to 350
-bake 50 minutes more
-cool on rack then refrigerate overnight (if you are very very patient)

Comments

[wax-jism.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Cornstarch, is that equivalent/replaceable by potato starch? Cause we're not so much about the corn up here.

[phineasjones.livejournal.com]

yes, i think it is. it basically replaces the egg in the recipe, as i understand it, for which i use corn and potato starch interchangeably.

[mark356.livejournal.com]

These recipes look fabulous!

One question about the pumpkin cocoa cake: it sounds like a good butter cake, but two tablespoons of cocoa powder is usually not enough to flavor a whole cake! Is it here?

[phineasjones.livejournal.com]

excellent question, my friend. i wondered myself but i tried it and was completely satisfied. the cocoa is just one of the flavors of the cake and the 2 tbsp is just enough for it to balance well with the pumpkin pie spice and the pumkpin itself. it ends up tasting more like a very rich spice cake.

[mark356.livejournal.com]

Huge thanks! I made that recipe, and it was subtly chocolate and slightly spicy and rich and sweet and soft and moist and pumpkiny and delicious. I covered it with white icing #1 made with lemon sugar and a little lemon juice, which is very light (only about seven hundred calories in all four cups plus of light, fluffy goodness) and subtly lemony, and they went together beautifully. This was such a good cake!

[jjtaylor.livejournal.com]

Holy pumpkin, phineas! I have a lot of cooking to do this weekend. I'll let you know how things turn out - I'm thinking pumpkin-cocoa cake first - Do you think it'll do well in a bundt pan, or it is cake-pan-safe only?

[phineasjones.livejournal.com]

hmm, i don't have a lot of experience with bundt pans. so i don't really know. but it is a slightly desne cake... if that helps. my gut says it would be fine, but i've never tried.

and yes, let me know how it goes!

[jjtaylor.livejournal.com]

Dense cake is perfect for bundt pans - hooray! Now, for the grocery list. . .