The post Mini Christmas Cakes – gift! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.
]]>Mini Christmas Cakes! Great to serve at gatherings and ideal for gifting – long shelf life, packages up beautifully, easy to make and economical. Made with my classic Christmas cake batter, the rich fruit cake is moist and velvety.
Here are the Mini Christmas Cakes I promised in last weeks’ Holiday Gift Guide!! This is just my classic Christmas Cake converted into mini form. They look so great on a platter to serve at gatherings, and are also ideal for gifting because they have a long shelf life. The cake is beautifully moist, rich with dried fruit, perfumed with Christmas spices. Dense, but soft pudding-like, not like a brick as many store bought ones are.
I also like that they’re easy to dress up for serving and gifting, because this Christmas Cake is designed to be eaten plain. So you don’t need to fuss to work around frosting or add a sauce for serving. Just dust with icing sugar, then for an extra Christmassy touch, tie a ribbon around each one and add a sprig of rosemary!
Also – the option to add a Christmas pudding drippy glaze!
A LOT of dried fruit and very little cake batter!!
Here’s what you need for the Soaked Dried Fruit. The fruit is soaked in either apple juice OR a combination of apple juice and brandy (for those who like boozy Christmas Cake).
Dried fruit mix speedy option – While I like to chop my own dried fruit (cake is softer, you get better flavour and I can use the ratios I like), feel free to use a store bought mix of pre chopped dried fruit for convenience.
Use any dried fruit you want – As long as it weighs 855g / 30 oz in total. The selection above is the mix I like!
Mixed peel is a store bought mix of dried, crystallised (ie sugared) lemon and orange peel. Usually it comes pre chopped – I like to chop it a bit finer. I like less citrus peel than some recipes because I’m too scarred by all those times I bit into a huge piece of orange peel. Just not to my taste! Don’t use FRESH orange and lemon peel, it will be too strong and too bitter. I do not know how much fresh peel to substitute this for.
Juice and/or booze – for a traditional boozy Christmas Cake, just switch 1/3 of the apple juice with brandy. Can also sub apple juice with orange juice if you want a stronger citrus flavour.
And here’s what you need for the cake batter part. The cake has very little baking powder because it’s quite a dense cake with a pudding-like texture. But it’s still got a distinct “cake” texture – unlike some Christmas Cakes that are so dense they are like eating fudge!
Brown sugar – Dark brown sugar gives the cake a richer colour and that is what I use for my classic single large Christmas cake. For individual ones, I prefer a slightly lighter coloured crumb so the fruit bits stand out more, so I use regular brown sugar.
Molasses / golden syrup – adds to the richness of flavour and colour of cake. Either is fine – I interchange year on year.
Walnuts – sub with any nuts of choice, or leave it out completely.
Oil AND butter – oil is what gives this cake a superb moistness. Butter is for flavour!
Eggs – This is what makes the cake hold together rather than being crumbly.
Flour – Just regular plain / all-purpose flour. Self raising flour can be used to substitute the flour and baking powder but the cake may dome a little more than pictured.
Spices – All spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Classic Christmas cake flavours!
The only difference between this and my classic Christmas Cake is that I bake it in a square pan so I can cut into square individual cakes.
Pan size – I use a 20 cm / 8″ square pan which makes a 4.5cm / 1.8″ tall cake so when cut into 9 squares, they are a nice tall height and impressive gift-giving size. Feel free to use a larger pan – for example, a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan will make a 2.3cm / 1″ tall cake which you can cut into more pieces. You can also use a muffin tin lined with silver foil patties.
The key step that makes this so much faster to make than other fruit cakes is the fruit soaking step. Most recipes call for dried fruit to be soaked overnight. I take a speedy approach: just microwave the dried fruit with juice and/or brandy, then stand for 1 hour to soak up the liquid. So much faster – and just as effective!
Soak fruit – Microwave the dried fruit with the juice/brand for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot. Stir to coat then set aside for 1 hour to let the fruit soak up the liquid and plump up.
Batter – Beat the butter and sugar for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Because of the volume of sugar vs butter, it won’t look creamy but you can tell it’s soft from the texture. Then beat in the oil and molasses, then the salt, spices and baking powder. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating until just incorporated.
Mix in the flour using a wooden spoon.
Soaked fruit – Then mix in the dried fruit, including any residual liquid left in the bottom of the bowl.
Pan – Pour the batter into a lined 20cm / 8″ pan. It will fill it right to the top and that’s fine, the cake barely rises. As noted above, it’s a dense cake but it’s not brick-like! It’s still distinctly cakey.
Bake 2 1/2 hours – Cover the cake with a sheet of baking paper (which will peel off without ripping the cake surface off), then foil. Then bake for 2 hours, remove foil and paper, then bake for a further 30 minutes uncovered to colour the surface.
Cool – Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferred to a rack to fully cool.
I like to cut into 9 squares because I think the proportions look nice and the cake is a gift-worthy size. To be specific, they are 6.5cm / 2 1/2″ squares that are 4.5cm / 1.8″ tall. As noted above, feel free to use different size pans. For example, a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan will make a cake that is 2.3cm / 1″ tall and you will be able to cut many more pieces.
Cutting – Trim the edges (to make the sides neat). Then cut the cake into pieces as desired. I do 9 squares.
Trim surface – The surface of the cake is ever so slightly domed. So to make the Christmas Cake into perfect uniform pieces, I trim the surface then turn them upside down and decorate the base.
Flip and dust or ice – Flip the cake upside down so the base of the cake is the side you decorate. Then either dust with icing sugar (easy option I use when gift-wrapping), or decorate drippy-style with white frosting (for a classic Christmas Pudding look) or top with fondant (see classic Christmas Cake recipe for directions).
As I mentioned earlier, Mini Christmas Cakes have in their favour as a homemade gifting idea. They are:
Easy to make
Economical – especially if you use a mixed fruit option instead of getting individual dried fruits
Easy to decorate – Just a dusting of icing sugar makes them instantly Christmassy! Though tying ribbon around the cake really is an easy way to make them even more gift-worthy.
Easy to gift wrap – no need to find specific size jars of gift bags. Just wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon.
Long shelf life – This one is important to me! A few years ago I did cookies but they just don’t have a great shelf life. It’s rare for any cookie to truly remain in top-notch fresh form beyond 2 days. Wheres the Christmas Cake? I’ve kept mine in the fridge for a month and it was still like freshly made. How good is that!
Love to know how you present these Mini Christmas Cakes if you try them, or how you customise the cake to your taste. Share in the comments below – readers love getting inspiration!
Also, spoiler alert for my friends – you’re all getting Mini Christmas Cakes this year. 😂 – Nagi x
Pleading for help.
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]]>The post Mini chocolate cakes appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.
]]>We make mini chocolate cakes because they’re adorable, there’s an excellent ratio of frosting to cake, and you get the whole thing to yourself! With 3 layers of chocolate cake smothered in fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting, these are the perfect special occasion dessert.
These adorable mini chocolate cakes are a petite 7cm/2.75cm size that’s made for not sharing with family and friends. Right in the spirit of special occasions that I’m suggesting you make these for! 😂
So, let me speak frankly. Individual portion mini cakes do take more time to decorate than a single chocolate cake. But they are more special. They look so great lined up on a platter. You don’t have to deal with the mess of cutting a giant cake.
And there is a high ratio of frosting to cake. These mini cakes call for half a batch of chocolate cake but a FULL batch of frosting! Not just because I’m being greedy, but simply because mini cakes have more surface area to cover.
So, for your next special occasion, there’s no need to spend $12 for a single mini cake from that posh patisserie down the road, only to be disappointed with how dry the sponge is and how meh the frosting is because it’s not made with real butter for cost cutting reasons. Let’s make our own!
(PS This recipe makes 7 mini cakes which is $84 worth for around $13 of ingredients).
We’re using my classic chocolate cake batter here. It’s the perfect cake to use for mini cakes because it’s moist and stays moist (small cakes dry out faster than large ones) with the bonus that it’s a really quick and easy batter.
Here’s what you need for the chocolate cake batter:
Flour – Just plain / all-purpose flour. The cake won’t be as soft using self-raising flour.
Sugar – Either superfine / caster sugar or ordinary white sugar (granulated sugar). They work the same.
Baking powder and baking soda (bi-carb) – This cake specifically uses both because it makes the softest cake with an even rise (rather than a dome). However, if you’ve only got baking powder, you can substitute the baking soda with an extra 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Cocoa powder – Just ordinary unsweetened cocoa powder. Not dutch processed, not hot chocolate sweetened cocoa!
Milk – Full fat cow milk is best, though low fat works too.
Large egg – A 55-60g/2oz egg from a carton labelled “large eggs”. More on eggs for baking here.
Oil is the fat in this cake which is what keeps this cake incredibly moist for days upon days. The sponge is drier if you use butter. Any natural flavoured oil can be used.
Coffee powder – Enhances the chocolate flavour, but you can’t taste coffee! Feel free to skip it.
Vanilla – For extra flavour!
And here’s what you need for the chocolate buttercream frosting.
Unsalted butter – Softened to room temperature so it can be whipped into a fluffy frosting. Don’t let it get too soft and sloppy else your frosting will be too! Technically in baking terms, “softened butter” should be 17°C/63°F – firmer than you think! This is soft enough to whip into creamy fluffiness but firm enough so it doesn’t turn frosting into slop.
Soft icing sugar / powdered sugar – As noted above, be sure to get soft icing sugar! If you use pure icing sugar the frosting will not be soft and fluffy, it sets hard.
Cocoa – As with the cake, use plain unsweetened cocoa. Not dutch processed or sweetened.
Vanilla – For flavour.
Pinch of salt – To bring out the flavours in the frosting.
It really is just your favourite chocolate layer cake in mini form. But I have some little tips to make your mini-baking-life a little easier because it can get a little fiddly!
This is my classic chocolate cake batter with minor alterations to make a smaller batch baked in a thin layer that we cut rounds out of.
Whisk dry – Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt, then whisk to combine.
Add wet – Add the egg, oil, milk and vanilla first, then whisk. Stir the coffee powder (if using) into the hot water then whisk that into the batter. It will be VERY thin!
Baking tray – Pour into a lined baking tray. I use a 40 x 28.5 x 2.5cm cm tray (15.8 x 11.3 x 1″ – US standard jelly roll pan). This makes a cake which is about 12mm / 1/2″ thick which is ideal for a 3 layer mini cake. Any tray around this size will work though smaller pans will make thicker sponges and larger ones will make thinner ones.
Bake for 13 minutes at 180°C/350°C (160°C fan-forced).
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then use the paper to lift it out onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool on the paper for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate for another 1 to 4 hours (uncovered) to fully, fully cool. ⚠️ Cooling properly is an important step because otherwise the cake may be too fresh and crumbly to cut out neat circles.
Invert – ⚠️ Another important step – flip the cake upside down before cutting circles! Cover the surface of the cake with baking paper (it is quite sticky, so using paper is important). Then flip it upside down onto a cutting board so the sticky surface of the cake is facedown.
Why does this matter? Because if the sticky surface is facing up, it is difficult to cut out neat circles as the sticky surface gets stuck on the ring then drags down the cake as you press down.
Use a 6cm / 2.4″ round cutter to cut circles out of the cake. Cut the circles as close to each other as you can to minimise wastage. You should have 21 circles. Feel free to use a different size cutter to make more smaller ones, or less larger ones!
See below for option to not cut rounds.
Prefer not to cut rounds? Or don’t have a cutter? No problems! Make square or rectangle cakes. Cut the cake into 3 equal size rectangles. Frost and stack. Refrigerate to set the frosting (so it doesn’t smear when you cut). Then cut into squares / rectangles, and frost the sides.
This is your standard buttercream, so the only things to watch out for is to start the beater on low once you add the icing sugar (to avoid a snow storm!) and to beat, beat, beat for a good few minutes at the end to get the frosting nice and fluffy!
Cream butter & icing sugar – Beat the butter first until nice and fluffy (a good 3 minutes), then gradually add the icing sugar and beat it in.
Fluff it! Beat in the cocoa powder, milk and vanilla, then once it’s all incorporated, beat on high for a full 3 minutes. This creates volume and makes the frosting fluffy so don’t skip it!
Proof of fluffiness. Try not to eat too much!
Piping bags – Transfer the frosting to a piping bag to apply to the cakes. This is the fastest and easiest way to frost the cakes! Without, you will be tearing your hair out and cursing me. Here’s why:
The fastest and easiest way to frost these mini cakes is to use a piping bag. This avoids the need for a two step “crumb coating” that we’d otherwise need to avoid crumbs smearing into the frosting as we spread it across the cake.
This is my standard way of frosting cakes these days, mini and full size!
The crumb smearing frustration – The chocolate cake is soft and delicate because it’s a moist, springy cake (rather than dry and stiff!). What this means is that in mini form, and especially once you’ve cut rounds, the cake is very susceptible to crumbs smearing into the frosting as you spread it across the surface, which makes it look untidy.
Getting around the crumb smear – One way to get around this is to do what is called a crumb coat whereby a thin layer of frosting is spread all over the cake to catch and “glue down” the crumbs, and create a smooth surface for the final layer. The cake is then refrigerated to set the frosting, then the final layer of frosting is applied.
The piping bag solution! However, we can bypass that fiddly two step process simply by using a piping bag. By piping the frosting on, we essentially avoid contact with the surface of the crumbs on the cake layers when spreading!
So, trust me on this. A piping bag is the way to go! You can even just use a freezer bag because this frosting is so smooth. Just something to pipe it on. You don’t need a piping tip.
OK, now that you’re fully on board the frosting piping train (which, by the way, is my standard way of applying frosting to cakes these days, mini or not), let me show you how easy it is to do for these mini cakes!
First layer – Place a layer on a small piece of paper on a cake turntable if you’ve got one (or lazy Susan). But it’s fine if you don’t, it’s easy to use this method on small cakes even without one. Then a snail on the first layer. No spreading needed.
Layer – Place the 2nd cake layer on top, pipe another snail then cover with the 3rd layer.
Surface – Pipe a snail on the top which will be the surface.
Sides – Then pipe the frosting around the side of the cake, starting at the bottom. No need to be meticulous here because we will spread it.
Spreading – Now, to spread the frosting, use a light touch and spread just the surface. Avoid making contact with the cake which will dislodge crumbs that smear into your frosting! No need to be meticulous with the frosting if you plan to cover the surface. And the sides are nice when they are left a little rustic!
Voilà! Crumb-free frosting mini chocolate cakes, ready for decorating!
Decorate as you please! The easiest would be a dusting of cocoa or icing sugar / powdered sugar, or colourful sprinkles for cheerful mini birthday cakes. Pictured in post are chocolate shavings. Here’s how to do them:
Chocolate blocks – Use chocolate of choice. In the video I use mainly dark chocolate with a bit of white for colour.
Shave – Stand the chocolate on a 45 degree angle then use a knife to shave shards.
Said shards!
White chocolate is softer than dark chocolate so you will get nice curls. Whereas dark chocolate is harder so is more flaky.
Pile onto the cakes. Avoid touching the chocolate because it will break / melt easily. A fork makes transference and pilling easy.
Decorated and ready to impress!
I know, you’re already visualising the look on everybody’s face when you walk into the room with a platter of these mini cakes.
Surprise. Delight.
And of course, so, so impressed. So if the eat part isn’t enough to spur you on to make these, do it for the praise! People will be talking about your mini cakes for days to come. Weeks! Month! (I really need to grow up. Who encourages people to bake things just for the praise? 😂) – Nagi x
In today’s recipe video, you get to watch Dozer following me around the house while I eat the chocolate cake then eventually trapping me in a dead end (laundry). No chocolate cake for Dozer!!
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]]>The post Bursting Blueberry Crumb Cake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.
]]>Bursting Blueberry Crumb Cake! Think – blueberry crumble meets warm lemon cake with a crunchy buttery streusel topping and melty scoop of vanilla ice cream. It tastes even better than it sounds!
I’ve done my fair share of blueberry desserts but I’ve always wanted to do a cake with an outrageous amount of blueberries in it. As in, BURSTING with blueberries. Not just studded. I dreamed of a blueberry crumble, except in cake form. (Yes, these are the thoughts that occupy my mind at night).
The question really was just how much blueberries I could bake into a cake without weighing down the sponge so much it became dense.
I peaked out at 500g (1lb). That’s almost double the typical amount used in most Blueberry Crumb Cakes.
And with extra blueberries comes extra streusel, that crumbly crunchy caramel top. I guess sometimes dreams can come true!!
Here’s what you need to make this.
The blueberries are tossed in a little flour and sugar so it forms a jam-like layer that mostly suspends on the surface of the cake. The lemon is used to provide wetness to make some of the flour stick to the blueberries.
You will find that not all the flour sticks to the blueberries. Be sure to scatter it all across the blueberry layer. We need the full 3 tablespoons of flour to ensure the blueberries don’t sink. Initial versions of the cake only used 1 tablespoon and the blueberries dispersed a little too much for my liking.
Frozen blueberries will work too! Use frozen because they bleed a lot when thawed.
This is called a streusel in baking. It’s a mixture made with flour, sugar and butter combined to make a lumpy mixture that is used to add a terrific crunchy topping on the surface of cakes, muffins, bars etc.
No unusual players here. The only one worth noting is sugar. I prefer using caster sugar (superfine sugar) because the grains are finer so I can be confident that I won’t end up with sugar grains in the streusel. However, if you don’t have it, just substitute with regular sugar.
The Lemon Cake is adapted from the batter I use for my classic blueberry yogurt cake. However, the batter is a little sturdier built to withstand the combined 700g / 1.4lb of blueberries and streusel that we pile on top and still come out lovely and springy at the end.
PS I know that 700g/1.4 lb sounds like an insane amount of blueberries and streusel, but we do lose weight in liquid evaporation as it bakes.
Flour – just plain / all purpose flour. It’s best to use plain flour and add baking powder rather than self raising flour. Cakes just never rise as well.
Baking powder – This is what makes the cake rise. If yours is old, it’s best to check it’s still active!
Sour cream – This helps make the sponge lovely and moist because it adds wetness into the batter but it’s thicker than milk. So we can use less flour for the same volume of batter. Ensure the sour cream is at room temperature, ie not fridge cold, else it will not incorporate properly into the batter (eg it can make the melted butter solidfy. Yup, been there, done that!).
Milk – Full fat is best though low fat will work fine too. As with the sour cream, ensure it’s not fridge cold. Take it out 30 minutes prior, or microwave for 10 seconds.
Eggs – Use large eggs which are ~55 – 60g / 2 oz each (they come in cartons labelled “large eggs”) at room temperature. See here for what this means, and a quick way to de-chill fridge cold eggs!
Melted butter – Once melted, let it cool for a bit. It can still be warm, we just don’t want it to be super hot.
Lemon zest – Zest the lemon before you squeeze out juice to coat the blueberries! It’s impossible to properly zest a lemon once it’s been squeeze of juice. We only use the zest because it adds lovely lemon flavour. The juice, on the other hand, mainly just adds sourness.
Vanilla extract – Better flavour than imitation vanilla essence. I personally don’t use vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste in cakes because I think it’s wasted. Save it for things like Crème Brûlée and Flan Pâtissier!
Salt – Just a touch, to bring out the other flavours in the cake. Standard baking practice these days.
Streusel first (it’s a quick mix), then toss the blueberries, then make the batter last.
Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt). Then add the melted butter and vanilla, and mix using a fork just until all the flour is wet but the mixture is still clumpy.
This is what you’re after. Lots and lots of lumps!
Zest the lemon then keep it for the batter. Do this before juicing the lemon for the blueberries because it’s impossible to zest a lemon that’s been squeezed of juice!
Toss the blueberries in lemon juice first to wet the surface. Then toss with the flour and sugar. Then set aside until required.
Line a 20cm / 8” springform cake pan with baking / parchment paper. See here for my easy way of doing it – no pencil required!
It needs to be a springform pan so the cake can be removed without inverting (which would cause the crumbly topping to fall off!)
Whisk dry – Whisk the dry ingredient in a bowl (flour, baking powder and salt).
Whisk wet – Then in a larger bowl, give the sugar, vanilla, zest and eggs a good whisk for about 15 seconds until the surface is a bit foamy. Add the melted warm-not-hot butter and sour cream, then whisk until smooth.
Add flour in 3 batches – Add one third of the flour then use a rubber spatula to fold it through. Once mostly incorporated, add half the remaining flour, fold through, then the remaining flour and fold through.
Milk last – When you can no longer see flour, add the milk and mix until incorporated. If you see tiny bits in the batter, it will be the zest not flour lumps!
Batter thickness – This is what your batter should look like. Pourable but not super thin like my Chocolate Cake and not super thick like a muffin batter.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the surface.
Top with blueberries. For the most even spread, start from the outer edge then work your way in. If you start in the middle, the weight of the blueberries pushes the batter out and up the walls of the pan. But, don’t get too hung up on this step! This is a rustic cake, and the blueberry layer is always a bit of a pot-luck situation in terms of spottiness / jammy patches / how neat the line is (it is not, ever!).
Use residual flour – Make sure you tip the residual flour and sugar at the bottom of the blueberry bowl over the blueberries. We need all the flour to ensure the blueberries don’t sink (I had problems when I used slightly less flour).
Streusel – Then cover the top with the streusel, using your fingers to make nice big lumps across the surface. Aim for around 85% coverage – it’s nice to have some jammy blueberries peeking through the golden brown crumbly topping!
TIP: If you have powdery streusel at the bottom of the bowl, just clench a pile of it in your fist to make it clump together. Then break up into clumps and scatter!
Bake for 65 minutes at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced), rotating halfway to ensure the streusel browns evenly.
Note on oven temperature: it’s a little higher than the usual temperature for baking cakes because the blueberries and streusel add a thick protection layer so we need an extra blast of heat to cook the cake through. At the typical 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), the cake was taking 75 – 80 minutes and the sponge rose a smidge less.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan to give it a chance to stabilise. Then unclip the sides and use a spatula to slide the cake onto a cooling rack. Cool for a further 10 minutes before slicing to serve warm (so the ice cream melts!), or fully cool and serve at room temperature.
If you want to be a normal, this cake can be served at room temperature, with optional ice cream or whipped cream on the side. That’s the normal way Crumb Cakes are served. It is delicious and the way this cake was originally intended to be.
But, for the ultimate Blueberry Crumb Cake experience, serve it warm with a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream on top. It is just such a comforting combination – the warm blueberries that burst in your mouth mingling with the cool creamy ice cream, the crunchy bits of caramel-y streusel topping and the soft cake (which gets softer when warm!) with the hint of fresh lemon flavour.
I am firmly planted on the warm-serving side. Try it once, and I think you will be too! – Nagi x
Me: in Brisbane, at the final Good Food & Wine Show for the year. Dozer: at the Golden Retriever Boarders’ house. She’s always a little offended because Dozer gives her husband a more enthusiastic greeting than she gets.
She is a vegetarian. Her husband is a carnivore. Dozer is not subtle.
This is a photo she sent me yesterday of Dozer waiting at the gate to greet her husband when got home from work!
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]]>The post Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.
]]>Pumpkin makes cakes soft and tender with a glowing orange colour in a way nothing else can! This Pumpkin Cake is perfectly spiced and comes with a tangy cream cheese frosting. The only thing that could make it better? Maple syrup. So I added it!
This is a pumpkin cake recipe for people who want:
an easy, foolproof recipe (just wait until you see how simple it is!);
a cake with excellent pumpkinness* that’s not overwhelmed by the use of excessive store-bought spice mixes;
a crumb that’s springy, soft and moist, rather than tight/dense or airy/delicate (like angel cake);
a big cake to feed lots of people without the deft required to cut tall layer cakes into 16 tiny slivers; and
a cake with excellent frosting-to-cake ratio. Specifically, a cream cheese maple frosting. A dreamy combination with pumpkin!
So if all that sounds good to you, read on!
* I am not sure that’s a word but it seems fitting here.
Here’s what you need to make this cake.
I use fresh because it tastes better and takes 8 seconds to puree. Plus, canned pumpkin isn’t readily available here in Australia. But canned works perfectly fine!
Canned pumpkin is a convenient option if you can get it and it works perfectly for this cake. But if you use pureed fresh pumpkin, you’ll be rewarded with a better tasting cake! It’s just a plain fact that freshly cooked pumpkin tastes better than something that’s been sitting in a can for months / years. Yes, we made and compared them side by side.
Use what works for you!
To make your own pumpkin puree, just boil chunks of pumpkin for 10 minutes or until very tender. Then blitz – it literally takes 8 seconds.
Here are the other ingredient you need for the batter:
Flour – Plain / all-purpose flour. Self raising flour (also called self-rising flour) will work but it won’t rise as much. I haven’t tried this cake with gluten-free flour.
Oil – Any neutral flavoured oil like canola and vegetable oil. Using oil instead of butter keeps this cake moist. Why? Because butter firms up at room temperature whereas oil does not. So cakes made with oil are more moist. However, the trade-off is that butter tastes better than oil. In this cake, we’ve got other flavours at play here – the pumpkin and cinnamon. So I don’t miss the butter!
Baking powder – This is what makes the cake rise. As a side note, the original version of this cake used a combination of baking soda and baking powder. However, over the years, I’ve found that using only baking powder gives the cake a softer crumb. Plus, we cut out one ingredients.
Cinnamon – Flavour! Classic combination with pumpkin.
Sugar – Regular white sugar, or caster sugar / superfine sugar.
Large eggs at room temperature, which means eggs that are 55-60g/2oz each sold in cartons labelled “large eggs”. They need to be at room temperature, not fridge cold, so they blend into the ingredients better. More information on the right eggs for baking here!
Salt – Just a touch, to bring out the other flavours in this cake. Standard baking practice these days.
There is no better frosting for pumpkin cake! Here’s what you need:
Cream cheese – use BLOCK, not the spreadable cream cheese in tubs (too soft). If you can only get the spreadable cream cheese, add extra icing sugar to correct the consistency.
Softened unsalted butter – softened but not super soft / borderline melting.
Icing sugar aka powdered sugar – 🇦🇺 Australia, use soft icing sugar, NOT pure icing sugar (which is used for things like royal icing ie sets hard).
Vanilla extract – For flavour.
Maple syrup – UGH, forgot to put it in the photo! This is for drizzling on top. I wanted to put it in the frosting but it made the frosting too loose.
WHY CAN’T ALL CAKES BE THIS EASY???!!
Whisk wet – Whisk the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin puree.
Add dry – Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt then whisk until combined. Batter. Done!
Bake in a 23 x 33 / 13 x 9″ lined pan (or thereabouts) at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced) for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. See the video for my easy way to line the pan!
Frosting – While the cake is cooling, make the frosting! Just beat the cream cheese and butter for a minute on high until creamy. Then add the icing sugar (powdered sugar) in 3 batches, starting the beater on low to avoid a snowstorm. Once it’s incorporated, crank the beater up to high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the frosting is fluffy!
Slather the frosting on the cooled cake, and use the back of a spoon to make swirly dents for maple syrup to pool in.
Drizzle with maple syrup, as much as you want / dare, then sprinkle liberally with roughly chopped pecans.
And now it’s time to dig in!
Making this cake might be the best decision you make in October. It’s totally straight forward. Your kitchen will smell amazing. It’s big enough to share with those you deem worthy.
And that moment when you take the first bite of that soft cake loaded with beautiful pumpkin flavour, mingling with that tangy cream cheese frosting mixed with rivers of maple syrup and the littering of soft pecans….
I challenge you to stop at one piece. (Even if you cut yourself a very, very big one). – Nagi x
Fresh or canned pumpkin? I’m in the fresh camp!
Originally published in November 2016. Recipe slightly improved (I now only use baking powder as I find it makes the cake rise more evenly), recipe writing improved (I’ve come a long way in 7 years!), sparkling new photos and a brand new video with me IN it!
Today – visiting a local community garden just a few minutes from home called Happy Hens. What an extraordinary oasis! 100% volunteer run in a beautiful location by the water, filled with an abundance of herbs and vegetables. Everyone is welcome – so locals, drop by to see it and say g’day! Might even see you there. ~ Nagi & Dozer xx
And from the original publication date in 2016:
a) Cruel
b) Cute
c) Funny
d) All of the above
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