This pumpkin cake, together with its unimaginable maple cream cheese frosting, is a recipe I developed a very long time in the past for an article I wrote for the Los Angeles Instances about Thanksgiving. I used to be killing two birds with one stone (forgive the vacation pun) by making my editor in addition to The One pleased. (The One loves something pumpkin. This cake has really beat out his former favourite autumn dessert, pumpkin pie.)
Since then, this recipe has turn into a type of baked-around-the-Web desserts, like my final chocolate chip cookies. I’ve seen my cake become some actually intelligent loaves, mini-Bundt truffles, and, my favourite, cupcakes. It appears to take effectively to any kind you may assume to make it in.
What You’ll Have to Make This
- Cake flour–The low gluten content material of cake flour helps to offer this cake a light-weight, ethereal texture.
- Eggs–Use room-temperature eggs for finest outcomes. They’re extra simply integrated into the batter than chilly eggs and can enable for a greater rise within the cake.
- Pumpkin puree–Use canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) for this cake. I don’t advocate utilizing selfmade pumpkin puree because it tends to be extra watery than canned.
- Cream cheese–Use full-fat cream cheese for finest outcomes.
The right way to Make This Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment rounds, then butter and flour the parchment.
- Whisk the dry cake elements collectively in a bowl.
- Mix the butter and sugars within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Beat on medium pace till fluffy.
- Add the eggs separately, beating between every addition.
- Scrape down the edges and beat till clean.
- Add 1/3 of the flour combination to the bowl, and beat till integrated.
- Pour in half of the buttermilk, and beat till clean. Alternate including the remaining flour and buttermilk to the bowl.
- Stir within the pumpkin till clean.
- Divide the batter between the 2 ready cake pans. Bake till a tester comes out clear.
- To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Beat till clean and fluffy.
- Assemble the layer cake by inserting one layer on a plate or cake stand and frosting the highest of it. Add the second layer, then frost the highest and sides with the remaining frosting.
Pumpkin Cake FAQs
Of us rave about this maple-cream cheese frosting. Rightly so. However it may well are usually a bit on the smooth aspect—as in, maybe just a little too smooth if the cake wants to take a seat out for a number of hours in a heat kitchen. (And by “a heat kitchen,” we imply a kitchen during which the Thanksgiving turkey is roasting and all 4 burners are blasting come Thanksgiving morning.)
1. You possibly can agency it up within the fridge earlier than frosting the cake.
2. Plopping an additional stick of butter additionally works. The result’s a sturdier frosting, with no sacrifice in taste, that’s capable of stand up to sitting out for a number of hours in any local weather.
4. If you may get your fingers on the darker, extra strong maple syrup previously often called Grade B and just lately redesignated as “Grade A Darkish Colour, Strong Style,” the frosting magically holds up like a champ and requires no additional butter.
4. It’s also possible to combine a little bit of the frosting with a tablespoon of cornstarch and beat it into the remainder of the frosting.
Sure. Our readers have had success swapping in a gluten-free all-purpose baking mix for the flour. This works finest when measured by weight.
The unfrosted pumpkin cake and the maple cream cheese frosting could be frozen individually for as much as 3 months. Utterly cool the cake layers on a rack, then tightly wrap every in plastic earlier than freezing. Freeze the frosting in an hermetic container. Thaw at room temperature earlier than assembling the cake.
Useful Suggestions
- It’s essential to make use of room-temperature elements to your frosting to make sure a clean texture, in any other case, the frosting could be lumpy.
- If the frosting appears smooth after you’ve completed spreading it on the cake, pop the cake into the fridge for half-hour to let the frosting agency up.
- Retailer the cake, lined, at room temperature for as much as 3 days.
Extra Beautiful Cake Recipes
Write a Evaluation
Should you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, contemplate leaving a evaluate, a star ranking, and your finest photograph within the feedback beneath. I really like listening to from you.–David
This cake is superb! So scrumptious! I made it for my husband’s birthday 18 months in the past, and I’m nonetheless getting requests from individuals to make it for them, too.
Catherine
For the maple cream–cheese frosting
Forestall your display from going darkish
Make the pumpkin cake
Crank the warmth to 350° (175°C) and place a rack in the course of the oven.
Butter two 8-by-2-inch cake pans and line them with parchment circles reduce to suit the pans. Butter the parchment and coat the pan with flour, tapping out any extra. (You possibly can as an alternative spritz the pans with cooking spray for baking, if that is simpler for you than buttering and flouring.)
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper in a bowl till effectively mixed. Take a whiff. Heaven.
Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a big bowl utilizing a very good old style hand mixer on medium pace, beat the butter, darkish brown sugar, and granulated sugar till fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Plop the eggs, 1 at a time, into the bowl, beating and scraping down the edges of the bowl after every addition. Alternate including the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the bowl, beginning and ending with the flour.
Scrape within the pumpkin and beat simply till the pumpkin is integrated and the cake batter is clean.
Spoon the batter into the ready cake pans, dividing it evenly. Give every crammed pan a very good smack flat in opposition to the counter to launch any air bubbles.
Bake the truffles till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the truffles cool within the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Fastidiously prove the truffles from the pans onto the rack, peel off the parchment paper, flip them proper aspect up, and allow them to cool utterly.
Make the maple-cream cheese frosting
Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a bowl utilizing a very good old style hand mixer on medium pace, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and maple syrup till fluffy.
- To assemble the cake, place a cake layer on a plate or cake stand and generously frost the highest of it. Place the opposite cake on high and frost the edges and high, swirling the frosting like the professional that you’re.
☞ TESTER TIP: If the frosting appears a contact on the smooth aspect, slip the cake within the fridge for at the very least half-hour till the frosting is ready or, in case you discover it earlier than you frost the cake, see our notice above the recipe.
- Use room-temperature elements–It’s essential to make use of room-temperature elements to your frosting to make sure a clean texture, in any other case, the frosting could be lumpy.
- Storage–Retailer the cake, lined, at room temperature for as much as 3 days.
- Freezing–The cake and frosting could be frozen individually for as much as 3 months. Wrap the cooled cake layers in plastic earlier than freezing and stash the frosting in an hermetic container. Thaw at room temperature earlier than assembling.
Serving: 1 sliceEnergy: 833 kcalCarbohydrates: 102 gProtein: 10 gFats: 45 gSaturated Fats: 26 gMonounsaturated Fats: 11 gTrans Fats: 1 gLdl cholesterol: 171 mgSodium: 513 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 74 g
Vitamin data is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
Recipe © 2013 David Leite. Pictures © 2013 David Leite. All rights reserved.
This recipe was initially printed on November 16, 2003.
