9

Cakes

Homemade cakes are always special. Served at the end of a meal or with coffee, a homemade cake says “I care!” Even if it is relatively easy to make, as are most of the cakes in this chapter, your friends and family will appreciate your effort. Pumpkin adds moisture to these cakes and makes them richly delicious and, of course, beautifully colorful.

Following the recipes is important in making cakes because by balancing the ingredients, certain chemical reactions occur that allow the cake to rise and brown properly. If you change ingredients, or the quantities, you may find yourself with a soggy mess. I don’t mean to discourage creativity, but at least follow the recipe exactly the first time you make it, and then if you want to invent, try changing the spice mix, which changes the flavor but won’t change the chemistry.

Surprising Pumpkin-Orange Cheesecake

Serves 10

I could not resist the inspiration for the crust of this truly unique cheesecake, which comes from the pages of Martha Storey and Friends’ 500 Treasured Country Recipes. A traditional cheesecake filling is nestled in a surprising crust made from almonds, gingersnap crumbs, and pumpkin for a wonderfully unusual cheesecake experience. The filling is my old favorite from the Statler Hotel at Cornell University.

Crust

Filling

Instructions

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter.
  2. 2. To make the crust, combine the pumpkin, crumbs, almonds, sugar, and orange zest in a medium bowl. Add the butter and mix well.
  3. 3. Cover the bottom of the prepared pan with the mixture and press down lightly with a fork. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
  4. 4. Increase the oven temperature to 450ºF (230ºC).
  5. 5. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Next, beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the sugar and beat only until it is dissolved into the mixture.
  6. 6. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust, and bake for only 30 to 35 minutes, until set, but with a jiggle in the center. Turn off the oven and cool the cheesecake in the oven. Chill before serving.

Pumpkin Roll with Mascarpone Filling

Serves 12

Not only does this dessert have a fabulous blend of flavors, but it is also a beauty to behold and a fitting ending to a meal for your favorite people.

To toast the almonds, spread them on a baking sheet and put in a 350ºF oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until fragrant and light brown.

Cake

Filling

Topping

Instructions

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line a 15- by 10-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper.
  2. 2. To make the cake, beat the eggs on high speed until thick and lemon-­colored, about 5 minutes with a hand mixer, 3 minutes with a stand mixer. Gradually beat in the sugar and then stir in the pumpkin.
  3. 3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves into the egg mixture, and fold the mixture until the flour is completely incorporated. Evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan.
  4. 4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until springy when lightly touched. Cool completely on a wire rack. While the cake is cooling, make the filling: Mix the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, ginger, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  5. 5. Sprinkle a tea towel with the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar. Carefully invert the cake onto the towel. Peel the parchment paper from the cake.
  6. 6. Spread the filling mixture over the entire cake, leaving about 1⁄2 inch around the edges. Begin rolling at the narrow edge by lifting the towel and roll as tightly as you can. The cake is quite fragile and may break slightly while rolling. Persevere, as the filling will help hold it together. Trim the edges with a serrated knife.
  7. 7. Place the roll on a long platter, seam-side down. With a serrated knife, cut into 3⁄4-inch slices. Drizzle the warm caramel sauce on each slice, and sprinkle with some almonds for a spectacular dessert.

Caramel Sauce

Makes 11⁄2 cups

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Dip a pastry brush in cold water and brush the sugar crystals down the sides of the pan if crystals begin to form. Boil for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the sugar turns an amber color. Do not stir.
  2. 2. This mixture will be very hot. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the heavy cream, being careful not to let it splatter on you. Return to the heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the butter. Remove from the heat once more. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
  3. 3. This sauce will keep at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, pour it into a glass jar and refrigerate. When ready to use, place the jar in a small saucepan with an inch of water. Gently heat until the sauce warms up and is pourable.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Serves 12

Cheesecake is a dessert of a thousand variations. It is rich, it is fattening, and to eat a slice is a sensory experience. In searching for the perfect cheesecake, texture is what it is all about for me. The smoothest and creamiest ones are always the best, and pumpkin enhances both. In this version, the mild pumpkin flavor, perfumed with spices, enriches the total experience.

Zwieback crackers are old-fashioned teething crackers, found with the baby foods in a supermarket.

Crust

Filling

Instructions

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC) and spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter-flavored cooking spray.
  2. 2. To make the crust, combine the zwieback crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Mix in the butter with your hands. Press the mixture into the prepared pan, about 1⁄2 inch up the side, using the palm of your hand or a flat-bottomed glass to make it flat. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly browned at the edges. Cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
  3. 3. Put a kettle full of water over high heat. Continue with the next steps while it comes to a boil.
  4. 4. To make the filling, cook the pumpkin for 5 to 7 minutes in a nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally to remove some of the moisture.
  5. 5. While the pumpkin is cooking, beat the cream cheese until smooth in a standing mixer at medium speed or with a hand mixer at high speed. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl and slowly beat into the cheese.
  6. 6. When the pumpkin is finished cooking, cool it slightly and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
  7. 7. Add the pumpkin mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat at medium speed, just until blended.
  8. 8. Add the eggs one at a time, beating a little between each one at low speed. Finally, add the heavy cream and beat at low speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Do not overbeat.
  9. 9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set a roasting pan on a shelf in the bottom third of the oven and pour the boiling kettle water into it to a level of 1 inch. Place the cheesecake on the shelf above and bake it in this modified boiling-water bath until the edges are set but the center is still wobbly, about 1 hour.
  10. 10. Let the cheesecake and the boiling-water pan cool slightly in the oven. Remove the cheesecake pan from the oven and place on a wire rack away from drafts. Remove the roasting pan and discard the water. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake pan and remove the sides. Cool completely and then refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Note: If zwieback crackers are unavailable, substitute 8 amaretti cookies.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake

A good Bundt cake is like a good piecrust. The ingredients are simple, but how you put them together is everything. This buttery cake is wonderful with tea or coffee, or to end a fine meal. To make a more elaborate dessert, add pumpkin ice cream and sprinkle with minced candied ginger.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Butter a 9-inch, high-sided Bundt pan. Sprinkle lightly with flour.
  2. 2. Beat the butter in a large bowl at medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and orange zest and continue beating until pale in color, about 3 to 4 minutes. It will be grainy, but rather fluffy.
  3. 3. Add one egg at a time, beating on low. When an egg is mixed in, add the next one. Continuing on low speed, beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
  4. 4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. At low speed, beat the mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl often, until the flour is almost mixed in. Use the scraper to fold the mixture and incorporate the last bit of flour into the batter.
  5. 5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
  6. 6. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing from the pan. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, then lightly sift confectioners’ sugar over the top. Place on a pretty cake plate and admire before slicing and serving.

Note: A stand mixer is a big help in mixing this cake. I have made it with a hand mixer, but if you have a stand mixer, use it. The results are the same, but it is just easier.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake

Makes one 9- by 13-inch cake

A well-kept secret about this deliciously moist chocolate cake is that it is actually healthful! Don’t tell, but the pumpkin packs in vitamins as well as a subtle flavor. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or a glass of ice-cold milk. Smile as you watch this cake disappear.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. 2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and add the sugars, stirring until totally blended. Beat in the eggs and pumpkin.
  3. 3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and baking powder into the chocolate mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated. Mix in the nuts, if using, and spread the batter in the prepared pan.
  4. 4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake leaves the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Pumpkin Cake or Jack-o’-Lantern Cake

Makes one 8-inch round layer cake

Wow the kids with a bright orange pumpkin cake.

Orange Icing

Instructions

  1. 1. Using the Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake recipe, bake the cake in two 8-inch round cake pans. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from the pans. Cool completely before icing.
  2. 2. To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Gradually sift in the sugar, and then add the orange zest and orange juice. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the icing. Add orange food coloring to the rest, until the icing is the color of a pumpkin. Add the green food coloring to the reserved icing.
  3. 3. Place one layer upside down on a large plate, and put a thin layer of pumpkin-colored icing on it. Put the second layer on top. Trim the cakes with a serrated knife to make it somewhat pumpkin-shaped. Ice the top and sides with the pumpkin-colored icing. Put a blob of green icing off-center of the top for the stem. With a toothpick, lightly mark lines radiating from the stem to resemble pumpkin ridges. With licorice, create a jack-o’-lantern face on one side. Surround with candy corn and serve to a happy crowd of little goblins.

Spice Cake with Pumpkin Mascarpone Icing

Makes one 9- by 13-inch cake

Not only does pumpkin in the frosting give a luscious peachy color to this cake, it provides a subtle contrast to the sweetness of the frosting and the spice of the cake. Little kids love this cake, and so do grown-ups.

Ingredients

Frosting

Instructions

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. 2. Combine the sugars in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and slowly add the oil. Continue beating for several minutes, until fluffy, and then add the pumpkin.
  3. 3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the pumpkin batter. Beat at low speed and add the buttermilk. Continue beating until the flour is thoroughly incorporated into the batter. Fold in the walnuts.
  4. 4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the edges pull away from the sides and are slightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. 5. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Mix the cheese and butter together in a bowl with a spoon. Add the pumpkin and gradually mix in the sugar. When the cake is cool, spread the frosting.

Tip: Of course, this cake is best eaten while fresh, but you can cut it into 2-inch squares and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or chill the squares, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 2 months.

Pumpkin-Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes One 9- by 13-inch cake

Carrot cake is an all-time favorite. We might feel somewhat virtuous eating a big slice, because we are eating our vegetables. Think how good you will feel knowing there is also pumpkin enriching this classic.

Cake

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. 2. To make the cake, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. Mix the oil, eggs, pumpkin, and carrots in a small bowl, until blended. Stir into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the nuts and raisins.
  3. 3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
  4. 4. To make the frosting, thoroughly blend the cream cheese and butter. Beat in the orange juice, orange zest, and sugar. Continue beating until smooth. Spread over the cooled cake.

Gingerbread with Pumpkin-Ginger Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Makes one 9- by 9-inch cake

My friend Wendy, a California caterer, suggested the combination for this fabulous dessert.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a 9- by 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. 2. Combine the pumpkin, buttermilk, molasses, egg, and butter in a large bowl.
  3. 3. Sift the flour, sugar, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.
  4. 4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. When completely cool, cut into 12 generous servings.
  5. 5. Serve each piece with a dollop of the ice cream. Spoon caramel sauce over both and serve with a flourish.