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!

Moka's Red Velvet Cake

A couple of weeks ago, Shaun and I embarked on the Cannon family vacation 2010, annually spent at our favorite spot in Aruba with my parents, sisters and family friends (and in case you didn't know, it was also the home of our 2008 beach wedding). Known for year-round fabulous weather, tradewinds, and signature slanted Divi trees, Aruba is also famous for its abundance of delectable restaurants. Though much of the week was spent swimming in blue water, laying under a palapa and cheering on Holland in the World Cup, we also found time to indulge in the local culinary delights that the island had to offer. I know what you're thinking, how did we manage to fit all of that in, day after day.

While I'll be telling you about my favorite local spots, there's something you should know about the Cannons. We love our dessert. So while last year we indulged in fried Oreo's at Smokey Joe's, this year, we stumbled upon a life-altering confection. Yup...I just said life-altering. The only thing sadder than having to wait another year to sunbathe on this One Happy Island is knowing that it's also another year before I get to have Moka's Red Velvet Cake again. It's that good. Multiple layers? Check. Ample sweet frosting? Check. Sprinkles? Check.

Located in the Paseo Harencia, an outdoor mall in the heart of Palm Beach (across from the Holiday Inn), Moka's is a small coffee shop offering gourmet coffees along with homemade desserts displayed in glass-topped cake stands. After all, is there anything else more inviting than beautifully displayed layer cakes?

Instead of the usual cream cheese frosting (of which I can never have enough), this red velvet confection was topped with standard vanilla buttercream, a refreshing and unexpected change from the typical red velvet. Oh, and the three layers of cake with buttercream filling between each didn't hurt either.

Moist and decadent to boot, this cake was even a bit pink and yellow at the edges, a sure sign of its imperfect, yet wonderfully homemade nature.

So there you have it. A pretty fabulous dessert that, admittedly, I may or may not have indulged in multiple times following nightly dinner. Have you ever had a cake or dessert that you just can't get out of your head? Share the goods!

Psst...itching for more Aruba-inspired fun? Check out Aruba tidbits here, here and here. And for more cake fun, try Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, Pink Coconut Cupcakes, Baba Booey's Peanutastic Cupcake, Butter Lane Cupcakes, Key Lime in the Coconut Cupcakes, and Baked by Melissa's Mini Cupcakes.

Birthday Cake

Last week was my sister Kimberly's birthday and we marked the occasion with a soiree at her Brooklyn apartment. Since I'm all about testing my culinary skills, I offered to make the dessert and opened the door to what Kim might think up. Luckily, she's a girl after my own heart and likes things simple (in other words, no Irish Car Bomb cuppy cakes or Mint Julep Brownies, please and thank you). While I'm typically of the chocolate cake-vanilla buttercream persuasion, Kimberly requested a basic yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Sounds easy enough, right?

Since my wonderful mother is something of a domestic goddess (and a super chef to boot) I consulted her for a recipe recommendation. The suggestion? Old-school Betty Crocker as "the only one I would trust," (that's a direct quote). When I saw the recipe for Betty Crocker's New Starlight Cake, I literally said the words, "Could this BE any easier?" And oh how I spoke to soon. 

I'm not sure if it was my new oven, the recipe, or some lackluster baking skills, but my first cake turned out like this when I tried to get it out of the pan. Burnt and broken. Not exactly the moist and fluffy confection that I envisioned. If it wasn't quite so bad, I would have tried the whole glue-the-cake-back-together-with-icing-no-one-will-notice-the-chocolate-river-down-the-middle trick. But alas, the cake was literally in two pieces and I just couldn't bring myself to try and salvage it. So on the morning of the party, I gave it another go. This time, I shortened the baking time considerably, greased that pan like it was nobody's business, and voila...a scrumptious yellow cake worthy of a certain someone's 24th birthday. It was a bit drier that I had hoped, but once slathered with super chocolatey frosting, this cake turned into one that I would definitely make again. Let's get down to the details...

New Starlight Cake
*Adapted from Betty Crocker
2 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 C sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 C vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
1 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour one 13x9" pan or two round layer pans (Note: You really need to get on this like never before. I had a lot of trouble getting my cake out of my pan and I was using a new non-stick pan loaded with de-sticking ingredients. Just when you think you've buttered and floured enough...do it some more). Measure all ingredients into a mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer, but I will assume that a hand mixer will work just as well). Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping the bowl as it goes. Beat 3 minutes on high speed, still scraping bowl as necessary. Pour the mixture into your pan (or pans).

Now here's the tricky part. The recipe says bake 40-45 minutes for a 13x9" pan, and 30 to 35 for round layer pans. When I baked my 13x9" cake for the first time, I let it go for 40 minutes and ended up with the aforementioned debacle. On the second try, I went with 30 minutes. At this mark, the toothpick came out clean, so I went with it. In my not-so-expert opinion, I'd say regardless of which size cake you make, do a thorough check at 30 minutes (or earlier for the round pans). Just sayin'. Once finished, cool completely and ice with chocolate frosting.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
*Adapted from Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa can back
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 C unsweetened cocoa (obviously I went with Hershey's)
3 C confectioners' sugar
1/3 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter. Add to a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer) and stir in the cocoa. With the mixer on medium speed, alternately add the confectioners' sugar and milk. Beat until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure it mixes evenly. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk. Stir in the vanilla extract.

So there you have it. One basic, yet mouthwatering birthday cake. Oh, and you'll notice the Happy Birthday Kim and ribbon trim, courtesy of yours truly and my sister Christine. Not bad for a can of pink frosting with a ribbon tip, huh? Anyhow, what kind of birthday cake is your favorite?