Tuesday, November 3, 2015

A Little Pumpkin Cake, Please

Well, October may be behind us, but pumpkin season continues. I came across this recipe a dozen or so years ago and it's still a favorite. In large part because it's a small cake, so I'm not eating on it for an entire week. That is, if it actually lasted that long.

Here's what you'll need.
For the cake:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree (not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

For the frosting:
1/4 cup cream cheese
2 Tbs. softened butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then grease a square baking pan. 8 x 8 or 9 x 9, whatever you have.

Next, mix together your sugar and eggs at medium speed for about two minutes.

Add the pumpkin and oil.
And mix until blended.

Now add your flour, cinnamon/pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat at low speed for one minute.

Pour into your pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Since I was using and 8 x 8 pan it took a little longer.

Cool on rack.

For the frosting, mix together your cream cheese and butter until well blended.

Then, with your mixer on low speed, add the confectioners sugar and blend well.
Then beat in your vanilla.

Oops. Looks like someone was a little eager to dig in.

Moist, delicious, pumpkin perfection.
Hey, even the teenage boy liked it. Which was good. That meant there was less of it for me to eat.

I don't know about you, but I'm still in awe that it's November. This year has just gone by in a blur for me. Before we know it, we'll be ringing in 2016. Yet there's so much between now and then. Thanksgiving, Christmas, traditions, lots of FOOD. 

Yes, this truly is my favorite time of the year. Crisp mornings, changing seasons, the anticipation of what's to come.

What you looking forward to this holiday season?

12 comments:

  1. Mindy, I love pumpkin cakes! I could eat that all day and be happy! I have learned to freeze small portions or that's exactly what I do, nibble all day and three weeks of nibbling means nothing fits: AGAIN!!!! Oy!

    But this looks delicious and wonderful. One of our favorite desserts is to do pumpkin roll. I use the recipe right on the Libby's label and it's so easy to do. I use my smaller old-time cookie sheets so the finished rolls fit on cute serving plates. Once they're filled with cream cheese frosting, and rolled, they freeze perfectly. So then I can grab them out of the freezer, thaw them for an hour (or less, actually) and unwrap, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

    Anything I can do ahead of time is a wonderful thing around here!

    Thank you for this, it looks wonderful and I could CRAWL through that screen and just eat every smidge!!!!

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    1. Ruthy, I LOVE pumpkin roll. So why is it that I always forget about it? It's not difficult, but it looks impressive. And I like the idea of freezing it.

      Okay, you've convinced me.

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    2. So stinkin' easy and it looks impressive. My inflated ego loves things that LOOK impressive! :)

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  2. Yay for autumn and pumpkin cake. I bet this would be good with cream cheese frosting also.

    I'm going into the kitchen now and see if I have the ingredients. Tomorrow is senior shopping discount day. smile

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    1. Sandra, this does have a cream cheese frosting. Which you will be happy to know I left on the cake while eating it instead of licking it off first. :P

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  3. This looks so good, Mindy. And what a WIN that it's a smaller cake!

    Pumpkin roll, though...hmmm.... We have a carry-in dinner at church on Sunday. Wouldn't a pumpkin roll be a great dessert to take?

    The holidays - they come sooner every year, don't they? Actually, the thing I'm looking forward to this year is that we'll have one or two "extras" at the table this year...you know, those "extra" people who may become members of the family some day soon? After years of my adult children being single, that's an exciting thing for me :)

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    1. Woo-hoo! Congrats on those extra people, Jan. We can never predict what those kids of ours are going to do.

      And the pumpkin roll would be perfect for your carry-in dinner. THIS pumpkin cake would be perfect for tonight. :D

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  4. Mindy, I agree. November has gotten here so quickly. I can't believe it. But I'm all about pumpkin, so I'll try to quit mourning the loss of warm weather and bake instead. :)

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    1. Missy, I've done more baking these last few weeks than I did all summer. The cooler weather makes me want to bake. And eat. Ah, what a tangled web it is.

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  5. Squeeeaaaallll! I'm going to make this as soon as I can collect the ingredients! I love pumpkin cake but my recipe makes a huge one and it's hard to divide -- 3 eggs -- how do you half an egg? So I don't make it very often. And I make cream cheese icing even less but it's about time.

    I've never heard of pumpkin roll. That sounds delish too, but I'm scared of the rolling part -- I'm sure mine would crack and I'd end up with pumpkin roll crumble.

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    Replies
    1. I know the felt, Kav. Which is why I love this recipe.

      I made half recipe cookies last week, where the full recipe called for one egg. My daughter had brought me some eggs from her chickens, so I just looked for a really small one. But I feel your pain. Strange how we figure out how to make due when it's something we REALLY want. I seem to REALLY want a lot of things. Sigh.

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    2. I know the felt? There's no fabric in this recipe. I know the FEELING.

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