Recipe Talk

spiced pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate leaves
Bon Appétit | October 1998

IngredientsFor chocolate leaves

6 ounces imported milk chocolate (such as Lindt), finely chopped, plus one 1-inch piece of milk chocolate

24 fresh lemon or camellia leaves, wiped clean with moist paper towels, patted dry

6 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped, plus one 1-inch piece of white chocolate

6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus one 1-inch piece of bittersweet chocolate

For cake

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup dried currants

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin

For frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons robust-flavored (dark) molasses

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

2 8-ounce packages chilled cream cheese

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Make chocolate leaves:
Line small baking sheet (or large plate) with foil. Add enough hot water (125degreesF. to 130degreesF.) to 9-inch-diameter cake pan to measure depth of 1 inch. Place 6 ounces finely chopped milk chocolate in 3- to 4-cup glass bowl; place bowl in hot water. Let stand just until outer edges of chocolate melt. Stir until chocolate is partially melted (some soft pieces will remain). Transfer bowl to work surface and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth and instant-read thermometer registers no higher than 88degreesF. (barely lukewarm). If melted chocolate is warmer than 88degreesF., add 1-inch piece of milk chocolate and stir until temperature falls below 88degreesF. Remove any remaining piece of chocolate.
Hold 1 leaf with heavily veined side up. Using pastry brush, carefully coat upper surface completely with chocolate. Using fingertips, wipe away any chocolate overflow from edges of leaf. Place leaf, chocolate side up, on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with 7 more leaves. Refrigerate coated leaves until chocolate is cold and set, about 10 minutes.

Carefully peel lemon leaves off chocolate leaves; return chocolate leaves to baking sheet and refrigerate.

Line another small baking sheet (or large plate) with foil. Melt 6 ounces white chocolate and make 8 white chocolate leaves, following technique and temperature guidelines for milk chocolate leaves.

Line another small baking sheet (or large plate) with foil. Melt 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate and make 8 bittersweet chocolate leaves, following technique for milk chocolate leaves. (Chocolate leaves can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350degreesF. Line bottoms of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with waxed paper. Spray sides of pans with nonstick spray. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and cloves into medium bowl; sift again. Place currants in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon flour mixture and toss to coat; mix in walnuts.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions. Beat in pumpkin. Fold in currant-walnut mixture. Divide batter equally between prepared pans (batter will be about 3/4 inch deep).

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper. Cool layers completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)

Make frosting:
Beat butter, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and orange peel in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in cream cheese. Sift powdered sugar over; beat to blend. (Frosted cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 2 hours before continuing.)

Assmble:
Place 1 cake layer, bottom side up, on platter. Spread with 1 1/2 cups frosting. Top with second cake layer, bottom side down. Spread remaining frosting smoothly over top and sides of cake.

Arrange chocolate leaves decoratively on top and sides of cake. Serve immediately or let stand up to 2 hours.

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spiced pumpkin layer cake
Bon Appétit | October 2007

IngredientsCake:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 3/4 teaspoons ground allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut plus additional for garnish

Frosting:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (measured, then sifted) PreparationFor cake:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350degreesF. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. Sift 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and oil in large bowl until combined (mixture will look grainy). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and orange peel; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated. Stir in raisins and 3/4 cup coconut. Divide batter between prepared pans. Smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cakes completely in pans on rack. Run knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper. Turn cakes over, rounded side up. Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops of cakes to level.

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in dark rum and vanilla. Add powdered sugar in 3 additions, beating just until frosting is smooth after each addition (do not overbeat or frosting may become too soft to spread). Place 1 pumpkin cake layer, flat side down, on platter. Spread half of cream cheese frosting over top of cake to edges. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting over top (not sides) of cake. Sprinkle additional coconut over. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Cut cake into wedges and serve.

GOOD TO KNOW:
It's better to underbeat the frosting than overbeat it. That bit of restraint makes for a slightly firmer frosting that's easier to spread.

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McCall's Pumpkin cake with seafoam frosting

Yield: 12 servings

3 cup Sifted cake flour (sifted before measuring)

3 teaspoon Baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

1/4 teaspoon Cloves, ground

1 cup Cooked or canned pumpkin

1/2 cup Milk

1 cup Granulated sugar

1 cup Light-brown sugar,packed

1/2 cup Butter or margarine, softened

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8-by-1 1/2-inch layer-cake pans. Sift flour onto waxed paper with baking powder, soda salt, cinnamon, cloves. 2. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine pumpkin and milk, mixing well. Turn granulated and brown sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla extract into large bowl of electric mixer; beat at high speed about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping side of bowl with rubber scraper. 3. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths) alternately with pumpkin mixture (in thirds). Beat just until smooth-1 minute. Pour batter into pans; bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. Cool in the pans 10 minutes. 4. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire rack. Make Frosting: In top of double boiler, combine 1/4 cup egg whites, 1 1/2 cups light-brown sugar, packed, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup and 1/3 cup water. With an electric rotary beater, beat 1 minute to combine. 5. Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating constantly, about 7 minutes, or until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised. Remove from boiling water. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; then continue beating until the frosting is thick enough to spread-about 2 minutes. 6. Place a layer on plate, top side down; spread with 1 cup frosting; sprinkle with 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Repeat with second layer, top side down. Frost cake with rest swirling decoratively. Garnish edge with walnut halves. Refrigerate till serving. Serves 12 Recipe from: McCall's, October 1984

McCALL'S WALNUT-RAISIN SPICE CAKE

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1 1/2 c. walnuts

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. boiling water

2 1/4 c. sifted all-purpose

flour (sift before

measuring)

3/4 c. margarine

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 cake pans.
Chop raisins and 1 cup walnuts until fine. Let mixture cool
1/2 hour. Sift flour with cinnamon and salt. In large bowl
with electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup margarine until creamy. Add
sugar; beat until light. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time.
Add lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla with wooden spoon.
Beat in flour mixture alternately with nut mixture. Begin and
end with flour. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 25 to 30
minutes until done. Cool.

Frosting:

1 pkg. cream cheese

2/3 c. margarine, softened

3 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 lb. powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until creamy. Add

powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Refrigerate cake.

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McCall's Pumpkin Pecan Roll
by marlaoh

1 cup of sugar

2/3 cup of canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of soda

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Â3/4 cup of plain flour

Â1/2 cup of pecans, chopped fine

Beat eggs until thick and lemon color.

Add sugar, pumpkin and vanilla.

Add flour, soda and cinnamon.

Line pan with wax paper.

Pour in pan and sprinkle nuts on top.

Bake at 375Âdegrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

For The Filling

8 oz. package of cream cheese

2 tablespoons of butter

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

After roll has cooled, take roll out of pan and let fall on a cloth or towel.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Add filling on top and roll.

Leave in towel until set.

The pecan side of roll should be to the inside with the filling.

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McCall's Pumpkin Roll

Posted by Nancy

CAKE

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. pumpkin

1 tsp. lemon

3/4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

FILLING

1 c. confectioners' sugar

6 oz. cream cheese

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cake: Beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Add sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon. Combine dry ingredients. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread into a greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Turn out immediately onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Roll up; cool. Make filling by combining all ingredients and beat until smooth. Chill until ready to use. Unroll cake, spread with filling leave 1/2 inch border. Roll up and chill. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Pumpkin Cake & Frosting

1 Package(18.25)spice cake mix

1 1/2 c Libby's Pumpkin pie mix

4 Med. eggs

1 Envelope (1.25oz) whipped Topping mix

----------------------------------FROSTING----------------------------------

1 c Milk

5 ts Flour, all purpose

1 c Butter

1 c Sugar, powdered; sifted

1 ts Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 deg. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, pumpkin pie mix, and 2 eggs...

Mix at LOW speed untill moistened then at med. speed adding remainder eggs and topping mix.

Mix at low speed untill moistened then at med. speed for 3 min.

Pour into greased and floured cake pans and...

Bake 45 to 50 min OR untill wooden pick comes out clean Cool 15 min... remove from pan(s) and cool completely.

FROSTING: Cook milk and flour until thick; cool in fridge.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with mixer.

Add flour and milk mixture a little at a time (make ahead of cake so that it has plenty of time to cool).

Beat well.