Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Candied Pecans and Bourbon Whipped Cream
Spice-rich, nicely textured, pumpkin-flavoured cake topped, Southern-style, with Bourbon-spiked whipped cream and candy-coated pecans. The cake can be baked the day before needed.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes
Makes: 10 servings
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
• vegetable oil spray
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the pumpkin, vanilla and buttermilk. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then mix a few seconds more.
Lightly grease a 9-inch round spring-form cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Spoon the batter into the cake pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched in the centre.
Cool cake to room temperature; remove outer ring. Wrap and store at cool room temperature until ready to serve.
For the pecans
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pecan halves (100 grams)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the water and sugar in a non-stick skillet over medium, medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the pecans. Simmer and cook until the liquid around the pecans reduces, becomes quite syrupy and turns light golden. Spoon and spread the pecans on to the baking sheet and cool to room temperature. Separate any pecans that have fused, and then cover until needed. Can be made several hours before needed.
For the whipped cream and plating
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp Bourbon
2 Tbsp icing sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• mint sprigs for garnish
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Mix in the bourbon, icing sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form.
To serve the cake, set a slice on a cake plate and top with a dollop or piped spiral of whipped cream.
Set a few candied pecans on the whipped cream, garnish with a mint sprig and serve.
Pumpkin Shortcake with Caramel Apple Slices
Flaky shortcake infused with the taste of pumpkin. Once baked and cooled, the shortcakes are cut and decadently filled with whipped cream and caramel-flavoured apples.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 30 minutes
Makes: 8 shortcakes
For the shortcake:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp golden brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
• all-purpose flour for kneading and shaping
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the first 7 ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and with your fingers, 2 forks or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until thoroughly distributed.
Combine the pumpkin, milk and egg in second bowl. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients. Gently mix until a loose dough forms. Flour a hand and knead, press and form the dough, in the bowl, into a loose ball. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. With floured hands, gently knead, shape and press the dough into a 1-inch thick disk. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes.
Use a lightly floured, 3-inch round cutter to cut the dough into rounds and place them on the baking sheet. Gather up the scraps of dough, and press and cut into shortcakes as well. You should end up with eight shortcakes.
Bake the shortcake in the middle of the oven 18 to 20 minutes, until they puff and spring back when touched in the centre. Cool to room temperature on baking rack, and then wrap until needed. Can be made a few hours before serving.
For the filling and garnish
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup whipped cream
• icing sugar to taste and for dusting
8 mint sprigs
Place apples and lemon juice in a bowl and toss to coat. Place the butter and brown sugar in a 9-inch skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts. Stir in the whipping cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, add the apples, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the apples are just tender. Uncover, spoon apples into a wide, shallow dish, cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until needed.
To make the shortcakes, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Sweeten with icing sugar to taste and beat until stiff peaks form.
Cut each shortcake in half and set a bottom half on each of eight dessert plates. Divide and top with a dollop or piped spiral of whipped cream. Divide and top the whipped cream with the caramel apple slices. Set on the tops of the shortcakes, dust with icing sugar, garnish with a mint sprig and serve. If desired, drizzle any of the caramel mixture left in dish around the shortcakes.
Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf
This recipe yields two dense and delicious loaves. If you only need one, tightly wrap the other loaf and freeze for another time. To make a plated dinner dessert, for each serving, cut a half- to one-inch thick slice of the loaf diagonally in half. Set the slices, slightly overlapping on a dessert plate. Set a scoop of maple walnut, caramel or vanilla ice cream alongside the slices. Dust all with a little icing sugar, garnish with a mint sprig and serve.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 55 to 60 minutes
Makes: 2 loaves
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 (14 oz/398 mL) can pure pumpkin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
• vegetable oil spray
1/3 cup maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the first six ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Mix in the cranberries and nuts. Place pumpkin, sugar, apple sauce, oil and eggs in a second bowl and whisk to combine. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Grease two, 4 1/2- x 8 1/2-inch non-stick loaf pans with vegetable oil spray.
Spoon and divide the batter between the two pans.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the loaf springs back when touched in the centre. Set the loaves on a baking rack. While still warm, divide and brush the top of each loaf with maple syrup. When cooled to room temperature, unmould loaves. Wrap and store at cool room temperature until ready to slice and serve. Loaves can be baked two days before needed.
