Monday, November 17, 2014

Pumpkin Dream Cake

Posted by Erin Wilburn / 12 comments » / cake, pumpkin

Look! I made a cake:

And a baby girl:

Miss Margaret Lynne arrived in this world on November 1st. I told her all along I didn’t want an October baby, so once that clock struck midnight ending Halloween night she decided to make her appearance even quicker than her brother! Y’all, I thought the 3 hours 25 min we were at hospital before Elliott was born was fast. Margaret arrived a little over an hour after we got to the hospital. Yeah… We love her SO much, and I’m so excited to share my birth month with her!

It’s been a LONG long time since I made a layer cake. I’ve been wanting to make The Novice Chef’s Pumpkin Dream Cake forever (and by forever, I obviously mean since she posted it in 2012). Margaret was born on the 1st, my birthday is on the 12th, and thanks to the newborn sleepies, I was actually able to make this for myself! I did make the cake one day, and the frosting the next. Don’t think I’m some kind of superwoman. With new babies, they just sleep a lot! I used to be able to do more baking when Elliott was tiny as well. It’s when they get really mobile and require all your attention, all the time, that I found it hard to get anything done. I’m trying to soak up all this time while I can!

This cake truly was a dream! I hate that I waited so long to make it. It’s light, fluffy, moist, and delicious. And the maple cream cheese frosting is dreamy as well. I LOVE true maple flavored things, and this was a great frosting to pair with the cake. I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on top to hide my awful frosting skills. If you’re looking for a non-pie, but still seasonal dessert for your Thanksgiving table, this is a great option!

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Pumpkin Dream Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk

12 oz (1 1/2 packages) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
6 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease 3, 8-inch round cake pans. (I used two 9 inch pans, see the bottom of the post for baking times for it, as well as cupcakes.) Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl/stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla, pumpkin and vegetable oil. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk.

Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and immediately place in freezer for 45 minutes. (This keeps the cake moist by immediately stopping the baking so the cake does not continue to bake when you remove it form the oven.)

For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. Add confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth.

Assemble the 3 layers with a thick layer of frosting in between each layer. Then apply a thin crumb coat on the top and sides. Pop back in the freezer to harden the crumb coat for about 10 minutes.

Apply one final thick and even layer around the outside of the cake. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

ADDITIONAL BAKING TIMES:
two 9 inch pans: 40-50 minutes at 300 degrees, then 45 minutes in the freezer
cupcakes (yield 30): 18-20 minutes at 300 degrees, no time in freezer necessary

recipe from The Novice Chef