There is nothing I enjoy more than family traditions, the ones that I grew up with and now the ones that I have been adopting since living in a different culture. I love them and enjoy them all! Going to the pumpkin patch and carving pumpkins is one of them. The kids look forward to this tradition every year and for me it’s about the quality time we get to spend together sharing in their excitement. If in the meantime I can also make something we can all eat then more joy to us! 🙂 This year we went to Woodside Acres in Milwaukee and took grandpa along – Hay ride and all it was fun times!!!
Today’s post is all about the pumpkin. We can all make cakes and pies using canned pumpkin – but why? This time a year there are so many pumpkins available. I guarantee you that using fresh pumpkin will make all the difference to this decadent, moist and delicious cake. You are free to substitute if you so wish (don’t say I didn’t warn you!). The mascarpone frosting is light and creamy and it is the perfect topping for this cake, you will not miss the butter 🙂 I hope you get encouraged to try this recipe before the last leaf falls.
One more thing, this post is part of a blog hop from a group of bloggers I met earlier this year while taking a blogging class. The theme is – you guessed it – PUMPKINS! Everyone participating posted something related to pumpkins, there will be crafts, Halloween ideas, recipes, pictures, scrapbooking, you name it. This is a group of talented women that all share a common passion for blogging and I am happy to be a part of it. I invite you to scroll down to the end of this post (after the pictures), start hoping around and visit all of my co-blogger friends to be amazed by their talents. Now let’s get baking!
Ingredients:
(makes 2 – 9 inch round cake pans)
For the Cake:
1 Cup canola or vegetable oil
2 Cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature, whites and yolks separated
4 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Cups Pumpkin puree (see recipe below)
For the Frosting:
8 oz. Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 Cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 Cup powder sugar
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
Pumpkin Puree:
The first thing we are going to do is make a pumpkin puree, start with a small size clean pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut in pieces of about 4 inches. Place the pumpkin in a large stock pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to medium, continue cooking until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool until safe to handle. Spoon out the flesh of the pumpkin into a bowl, discard the peels. Add to a food processor or blender and pulse on high until there is no lumps. You could also do this with a potato masher instead. Depending of the size of the pumpkin you may end up with more than 2 cups. You can place the extra puree in an air tight container and keep in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months.
Cake:
Preheat the oven at 350F – butter the bottom and sides of 2 – 9 inches round cake pans and dust with flour, shaking off any excess. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. In a stand mixer combine the sugar and the egg yolks, mix lightly, with the mixer running on low start adding the oil in a thin strike until well incorporated. Add half a cup of milk and running in low start incorporating the flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time. When you are half way through the flour, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, add the remaining milk and continue incorporating the rest of the flour. With the mixer off add the pumpkin puree and run on low until the pumpkin is well incorporated in the batter. In a medium bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. It does not need the consistency of merengue, just soft peaks. With a rubber spatula fold in the egg whites to the cake batter. Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes approximately.
Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire rack for cooling.
Food Notes: I served this cake at a dinner party and for the individual cake look I baked them in cookie sheet pans, when cooled I cut the rounds using a cookie cutter.
Frosting:
In the bowl of your stand mixer add the heavy cream and powder sugar. Mix on high until soft peaks form. Add the Mascarpone cheese, vanilla and ginger. Mix well to desired consistency.
Assembly:
Place your serving dish on top of your cake pan and turn the cake over on the plate. Dab half of the frosting in the center of the cake and spread all over with the help of a table knife, top with the second cake and decorate the top with the remainder frosting. For a more sophisticated look, I added caramelized pumpkin seeds and a piece of sugar tuile. Enjoy!
DON’T FORGET THE BLOG HOP BELOWÂ – HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Guauuuuuuuuuu, os lo habeis pasado requetebien!!! Y la presentación en el plato es estupenda, dan ganas de hincarle el diente de inmediato. Un abrazo
Gracias Yolanda, pues si que nos divertimos mucho!
Qué éxito! Probaré esta receta “antes de que caiga la última hoja de Otoño! Qué bella, Sujhey!
Gracias Irma, me encanta que se pasen por acá. Me cuentas que tal les queda la receta. Un abrazo! 🙂
¡Wouuu! Me ha encantado la receta y su presentación individual. Enhorabuena!
Vaya presentacion!! Tiene una pinta impresionante! Felicidades 😉
Uauuuuu vaya presentación! que bonito el bizcocho con el frosting. Y las fotos de las calabazas geniales. Enhorabuena 🙂
Qué rico tiene que estar esto! y qué elegante presentación! te quedó precioso! un beso
Me encantan las fotos! Y la tarta tiene una pinta deliciosa. Besos
Madre mÃa, pero qué pinta tan divina tiene esta receta!!!!!!! Con lo vaga que soy para cocinar hoy me están entrando ganas de no despegarme de los fogones. Gracias por compartir estas fotos y esta receta. Un besote
Ohhh! que receta más apetitosa y que presentación más mona! Salibando! necesito un emoticon para eso… :p
Es la primera vez que veo lo de las pipas, ya me lo habÃan comentado mis chicas americanas…. tengo que probarlas. Muy bonita la entrada, bien documentada y entretenido texto.
Gracias Pilar!!! No se que son las pipas, serán las semillas de la calabaza?. Si es asÃ, son muy fáciles y adictivas también 🙂
Gracias chicas por tan lindas visitas y comentarios alentadores que encontré hoy al llegar de la oficina. Un abrazote grande!
Que super buena pinta!!, enhorabuena calabacera. Un abrazo
Gracias Raquel! Un abrazo!
Sujhey, muy hermosa y conmovedora la publicacion del mes de Octubre. Espero probar la receta cuando Irma la prepare. La presentacion del plato esta bellisima.
Gracias Marjorie, espero que les guste! Un abrazote y saludos para la familia.
Que pinta tiene!!! Que rico..
in reading the directions above for the cake it does not tell you when to add the pumpkin purée? Do you mix it in when combining the egg yolks & sugar? I wanted to make this cake today
Aleta, Thank you so much for your observation. I have fixed the directions. The pumpkin purée is added after you are done adding the flour as shown in the pictures. I apologize for the inconvenience and hope you are still up for making the cake. Thanks again!
Que rica se ve la torta, y todos tienen razón, muy bella la presentación.