It's November, which always conjures up thoughts of Thanksgiving, family, and the ever so popular Pumpkin Pie! Well as much as I love Pumpkin Pie I happen to tire of it even before it hits the Thanksgiving Day table!There is something about the way cinnamon, ginger and vanilla combine with pumpkin that creates the most remarkable concoction! The smell wafting through the house filling every inch of every hallway and room! Oh the joy!
Then let's not forget our more than occasional stops to the local Starbucks during the colder months for Hot Chai and Egg Nog Lattes!
So you can imagine my happiness when stumbling upon this recipe that includes two of my favorite winter treats in cake form, Pumpkin and Chai Latte.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I did!
Happy Baking and Sweeter Days,
Lizzy
(I've added my notes in parentheses to hopefully help in a successfully baked treat:0)
Pumpkin Cake-
Recipe courtesy Cuisine at Home Issue No. 84
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt (I usually don't add salt to my desserts but up to you and your palate)
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz.)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I only added 1/2 cup of granulated sugar)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I added 1/2 cup of brown sugar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup hot water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat insides of two 8x2-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; coat paper with nonstick spray.
(For this recipe, in the interest of time, I skipped the round cake pans and assembling the cake in layers and went with a 13x9)
Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. (Remember: after adding your dry ingredients to your bowl, use a hand whisk to sift your dry ingredients. Works great) Beat together pumpkin, granulated and brown sugar, oil, and vanilla in a bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in one egg at a time until incorporated.
Alternately add flour mixture and 1/2 cup hot water to the sugar mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture, beating after each addition until incorporated. (I usually do the flour in 1/2 cup increments, allowing a fluffy consistency and combined batter.)
Divide batter between two prepared pans; smooth tops with a spatula. (Or your 13x9) Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into their centers comes out clean, 28-30 (For the 13x9, bake for 20-25 mins) minutes. Let cakes rest in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack (skip wire rack) to cool completely.
Chai Spiced Buttercream Icing-
Recipe courtesy Cuisine at Home Issue No. 84
1 1/2 tsp. (3/4 tsp.) ground cinnamon
1 tsp. (1/2 tsp) ground ginger
1/2 tsp. (1/4 tsp) each ground nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves
1 cup (1/2 cup) sugar
1 Tbsp. (1/2 Tbsp) light corn syrup
5 (2-3) egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp. (1/4 tsp) cream of tartar
4 (2) sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
Coat inside of a heatproof glass measuring cup with nonstick spray.
Stir together cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves in a small bowl; set aside. (Instead of setting aside, I would add them to the next step, the sugar mixture and cook it with the syrup.)
Boil sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When syrup reaches 230 degrees, begin whipping egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer of high speed with the whisk attachment until foamy. (I would whip your eggs first, instead of waiting. The sugar heats up very quickly.) Add cream of tartar and beat to stiff peaks. Meanwhile, continue cooking syrup until it reaches 245 degrees, about 5 minutes total.
Immediately pour the 245 degree syrup into prepared measuring cup. Drizzle about 1 Tbsp. of the syrup and the spice mixture into the whipped egg whites; beat on high speed until thoroughly combined. Continue drizzling syrup, beating until all is added and combined with whites. Continue beating until the sides and bottom of bowl are cooled to room temperature.
Add butter to meringue 1 Tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition. Buttercream may appear curdled, but continue beating. It will become smooth once all the butter is added.
Apply icing to cooled cake and ENJOY:0)
(It is recommended that you store this cake in the refrigerator, but eat at room temperature.)
