How to Make Pumpkin Cake

Some people freak out over the texture of pumpkin pie. For these troublesome people, try making a pumpkin cake instead. This recipe makes 12 normal-size portions or 8 large portions (more realistic given how delicious the cake is).

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2 c. cake flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 c. dried currants
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 c. unsalted butter divide, at room temp
• 3/4 c. dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 c. light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1 c. canned solid pack pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1/3 c. powdered sugar
• 16 oz. chilled cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. molasses
• Waxed Paper
• Waxed Paper
• Groceries
• 2 9-inch Cake Pans
• Electric Mixer
• Large Bowls
• Mixing Bowls
• Nonstick Cooking Spray
• Sifters
• Small Bowls
• Mixing bowls

Making the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch diameter cake pans with waxed paper. Spray the sides of the pans with cooking spray.

3. Put flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and cloves in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork and sift through a sifter.

4. Put currants in a small bowl, add 1 tbsp. of the flour and toss to coat. Add walnuts and toss again.

5. Beat 1/2 c. of the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until it's nice and fluffy.

6. With mixer still on, slowly add light brown sugar to butter.

7. Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time.

8. Beat 1/3 of the sifted flour mixture into the butter mixture. Beat in half the milk.

9. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat it in. Follow with the other half of the milk and beat in.

10. Beat the final 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture.

11. Beat in the pumpkin.

12. Fold in the currants and walnuts, dredged in flour.

13. Pour the batter in equal portions into the prepared cake pans.

14. Bake about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. While cakes bake, prepare frosting.

15. When cakes are done, cool for 10 minutes with the cakes still in the pans. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack, remove wax paper and cool completely (about two hours).

Making the Frosting and Assembling the Cake

16. Beat the rest of the butter, dark brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and orange peel in a bowl until it's nice and fluffy.

17. Beat in cream cheese.

18. Sift powdered sugar, then beat in and blend well.

19. Take one completely cooled cake layer and put it on a platter, bottom side up.

20. Spread layer with about 1 1/2 c. frosting.

21. Put the second layer on top of the first, with the bottom side down.

22. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

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on 11/22/2005 I bake pumpkin cakes in a pumpkin-shaped cake pan I picked up years ago. Then, after putting the frosting on, I use colored frosting to add a pumpkin face to the top. My grandkids love them!