Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Frosting

It’s Tuesday! After a rocky start to the week (Monday is just not my strong suit), the day picked up with a trip to the gym, a Giants win (!), and Shaun cooking up tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. This morning got me going with some maple cinnamon oatmeal, pumpkin spice coffee and planning what to make for Saturday’s Halloween party at my sister Kimberly’s.

Meanwhile, I hope you’re not sick of pumpkin just yet because today I’m serving up a pumpkin spice cake that’s moist and festive. When our friend Kristen celebrated her birthday a couple weeks ago, I knew a pumpkin cake would be just the ticket for a Fall soiree. Not to mention that a little bird told me that she was a fan of pumpkin. It was a no brainer. So when I stumbled up this Martha Stewart recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Frosting, I knew it was meant to be.

So I got to work planning the cake, making just a few changes to fit my own specifications that 1) I didn't have the proper baking pan and 2) wanted the frosting to have just a hint more sweetness than the original recipe called for. The result? A moist, slightly sweet autumn cake that was quick and easy to boot. Looking for a great Halloween or Thanksgiving recipe that will WOW your guests? Look no further, my friends.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Frosting
*Adapted from Martha Stewart
for the cake:
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 C all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1 15oz can pumpkin
for the frosting:
1/2 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 C honey
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 C confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x9" baking dish. Ok, I don't have a 9x9" baking dish. And I couldn't find a foil one last minute at Whole Foods either. So I decided to take a chance on my 8.5" round cake pan. I figured, why not? (Spoiler alert: it worked! sort of). In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, butter and pumpkin puree. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into baking dish.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack. So remember how I said the cake pan sorta worked? Well here's how it turned out:

It's like my cake spawned a little baby on top. I'm assuming that this was caused by not using the correct pan. To remedy the situation, I simply sliced off the excess on top. Using a long bread knife, I very carefully evened out the top. I may have even got down on my knees to be exactly eye level with the cake top.

The moral of the story? Use the proper pan...and if you don't have it or can't find it, improvise. No one knew any different. Fortunately, this excess cake meant some sampling for the chef. You know, just to make sure it tasted alright.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, combine the softened butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the honey and mix until completely combined, scraping up the bottom of the bowl to make sure it's all combined. That honey can pack some weight and sink right to the bottom. Though I'd never used honey in frosting before, it gave an extra layer of flavor that was the perfect complement to the pumpkiny goodness of the cake.

Mix in the vanilla and sugar, adding sugar 1/2 C at a time. Now frost that bad boy. I got the rustic look on mine by dumping a lot of icing on the top of the cake and spreading it over the edges and down the sides...carefully! Cake decorating is certainly not my specialty (though I'm not ruling it out down the road :)), so I used a slow and steady hand to spread the icing with a butter knife so it was just right.

To top it off, I added a thick layer of Halloween non-pareils sprinkles that I snagged at Target that very morning. Aren't they festive? And doesn't this simple sprinkle design (if you could even call it that) just scream this cake is for grown-ups, but still celebrates the season!?

I toted mine on a cute cake caddy that was gifted to me by my awesome Mom, hence the blue plate. Slice it up and bask in the oooh's and aaaah's from the crowd!

 

So there it is, a chic yet rustic and absolutely delicious cake that's perfect for any autumn occasion, especially you're upcoming Halloween fete! So what do you think? Are you over the pumpkin craze? Are you planning any fun desserts for upcoming Halloween parties? And bonus question: How did you get through you Monday yesterday?

Psst...missed the first part of Halloween week? Catch up here!

Halloween Queso Dip

This weekend, Shaun and I really got into the Halloween spirit. After meeting for happy hour after work on Friday near our apartment, we spotted the marquee at the Loews Landmark Jersey Theater advertising a showing on Saturday night of Nosferatu. Nosferatu is a silent film from the 1920's that essentially copied the story of Bram Stoker's Dracula. In fact, many original copies of the film were destroyed due to copyright infringement, though a few survived. Cool right? And this version would be shown at the Loews Jersey with a live organ accompaniment. We couldn't wait to get in the Halloween spirit in our very own neighborhood with this rare experience!

Imagine our surprise when we arrived for the 8:20 showing to a line wrapped around the theater, block after block. The restored theater holds 3,100 people, and I think it was almost full for Saturday's show! There's just something about an old theater that really makes a movie feel magical. Loews Jersey did not disappoint.

We had passed by the theater countless times since we moved into our new apartment, we had yet to see a movie there. The theater was unbelievable and the film was just the right amount of spook and old-world cinema charm. Oh and the live organ wasn't too shabby either. It was the perfect way to kick off the Halloween season. And you know I wouldn't forget to mention the food. The theater sold boxes of hot, salty popcorn for $1 a pop. Now this is a Saturday night I could get used to. 3-D and CGI, who?

Meanwhile, it got me thinking about all the delicious Halloween eats and all the fun ways to incorporate holiday colors into food for upcoming Halloween events. So this week I'll be bringing you some fun yet grown-up ideas to incorporate the season into your own parties! Yesterday, though neither the Giants or Jets were playing, I whipped up some queso dip with blue corn tortilla chips for football Sunday, you know, to mimic the colors of the season. Festive, no? It was warm, cheesy and had all the right moves to grace any Halloween party.

Queso Dip
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 C milk
1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, grated
6 slices American cheese, cut into pieces
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 can Rotel, I used mild
1 can chili, if desired

In a small saucepan, bring the milk almost to a boil. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour until it is combined and a light paste is formed (this is a roux). Whisk the milk into the roux over medium low heat until all is combined and the mixture starts to thicken. Whisk in the cheddar cheese until completely combined (this should happen quickly) and then the American cheese.

Once all combined, add the chili powder, Rotel and chili, if using. Mix altogether and serve. I used a baby crock pot (not shown) which keeps the dip warm, but if serving immediately, a small serving dish should work too. Keep the rest of the mixture on low on the stove so the small dish can be refilled.

 

I thought that starting with a standard Bechamel (white) sauce would be the best way to keep the mixture creamy and saucy, rather than thick and lumpy - that's the roux/scalded milk mixture for ya. And I'm happy to report that I was right! It was creamy without being thick and clumpy, which is exactly how it would have been had I not used this as the base of my sauce. And if you're feeling non-meaty, simply eliminate the chili since it was just as delicious without it. But don't skimp on the Rotel!

So there you have it. An easy, grown-up way to add some Halloween fare to your upcoming party or gathering. Oh and it works just as well as a Sunday Game Day Eats dish too! So what I want to know is...what's on your list of delish eats to make for Halloween? Are you hosting? Or bringing some delectable grub to a party?

Gimme some sugar

Have you ever broken the cardinal rule of baking? You know, the one where you’re supposed to read the entire recipe from start to finish, checking off the list of ingredients to ensure that you have all the necessary components for a finished product of perfection? Unfortunately, I often bake on a whim (or just have a minor case of ADD) and forget this step. You know, like the time I had to run out for more jam in the midst of making my peanut butter & jelly bars for July 4^th. Or the time I was elbow deep in mixing meatloaf, only to realize that I had nary an egg to bind the whole thing together. Well add another one to my list friends, because during Lindsey and my 1950’s playdate where we spent the entire day making (and subsequently taste testing) apple pies, I was midway through Pie #4 when I realized that I had no brown sugar in the house.

And isn’t brown sugar such a tough ingredient to keep? It’s sold in small packages so I use it up quickly (not to mention the fact that sometimes while baking, I eat small scoops of it since I love it so much - I know, gross). It hardens very easily. It’s not really a baking staple that always graces my cabinet, unlike white sugar, all purpose flour, baking powder or vanilla extract. Instead of stopping midway through our day o’fun to run out to the store, I realized that I could just whip up my own. And honestly? It couldn’t be easier. Or more delicious.

Simply mix 2 tbsp of molasses with 1 cup of granulated sugar. And don’t think the irony is lost on me that I was out of brown sugar, but somehow managed to have a more elusive ingredient like molasses on hand.

I used a fork to mix it altogether until it resembled the brown sugar I know and love.

Though it was a bit more orange that typical brown sugar and at first taste, the molasses was very apparent, I just went with it. We scooped some up and used it in Grandma Ople’s Apple Pie and it worked perfectly!

I stored the rest in an air tight container and by the next day, the molasses flavor had waned a bit and the mixture had turned golden brown. Success all around! And now I never have to worry about running out of brown sugar. Instead, I just have to worry about running out of molasses…

So there you have it. A quick and easy fix in the kitchen. So what I want to know is, have you ever run out of an important ingredient while cooking or baking? Got midway through your recipe only to send the hubs out running to the local store for that last ingredient? Or were you able to improvise? And completely unrelated bonus question: what’s getting you jazzed for the upcoming weekend? I have no plans aside from getting my teeth cleaned and catching up on Boardwalk Empire!

Psst...Miss out on our Two Girls, Two Guys, Four Pies series? Get the scoop from the beginning, here, here, here and here!