Pumpkin Layer Cake

My apologies, my schedule is out of wack since I started taking these hot yoga classes and I've had to move some things around to take full advantage of my unlimited two week pass. These classes are intense but I'm really enjoying them. If you get a chance, do it. It's definitely worth it!

This one is taking it back to pumpkin. Yes, that's right. Pumpkin. I had some left over from the fall in my freezer and I wanted to use it up before it went bad so I baked a cake. Not just any cake though. This was the moistest, most wonderfully flavorful cake I've made in a while. Of course, it didn't happen easily and I had some hiccups along the way, but isn't that how life works anyway?

I intended to make this cake with the butterscotch filling but it didn't quite turn out that way, as you can see. My sugar burned and I was too frustrated to try again so I just used an extra layer of frosting in place of it. It was still delicious and all things wonderful! I'm convinced that pumpkin the key to making anything moist. I've never made anything with pumpkin that wasn't moist and didn't stay that way. Another reason I love it.

So off I went with the dry ingredients.

It's like fall all over again! I added the dry ingredients to the creamed butter, sugars and eggs. I also added the pumpkin and buttermilk substitution as well at this point in the picture.

When all of my mixing was complete, I divided the batter in half, poured it into two separate pans and baked in the oven at 325F for 30 minutes.

You can imagine how amazing this smelled as it was baking! I let the cakes cool on a wire rack and started to make the butterscotch filling. I failed miserably by burning my sugar and I was so frustrated I gave up. I know it doesn't sound like me but it was really that kind of day.

So I started on the frosting. It was your basic buttercream frosting but with brown sugar instead of white sugar and a ton of butter. Paula Dean style. I figured this would be shared amongst a large group of people so I wasn't being too bad. The picture I have of the frosting is a bad one so I'm just going to leave you with two pictures of the finished product. Hopefully that will suffice!

When the cake was cooled completely, I frosted it and finished it with an outline of candied walnuts, which I think made the cake just perfect. I'm really proud of how this cake turned out and I will definitely be making it in the future!

You can almost see how moist it is! I would compare it to a really great banana bread in terms of moisture. Delicious!

The next few weeks will be bringing some challenges so stick with me. My best friend from high school and college is moving away for her job and I'm going to be busy trying to get in as much time with her as humanly possible. I'm really going to miss her but I know I will visit and she will be back to visit family so I'm trying to take in stride. I know it's good for her career but I selfishly wish she would stay. Okay I should go before I ramble on anymore! Whatever you do, make this cake and enjoy every bite of it. It's totally worth it!

Recipe
Eats Well With Others

Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup buttermilk (I substituted with almond milk and a tablespoon of white vinegar)
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Frosting
2 cups tightly packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Line the bottoms of 2 round 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.  Grease the parchment, as well as the sides of the pans.  Preheat the oven to 325°.  Center a rack in the oven.


To make the cake, combine the flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, combine pumpkin puree and buttermilk and mix until smooth.  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Increase to high speed and beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and scraping down the bowl between additions.  Add the vanilla extract and beat on high for 30 seconds.  With the mixer running on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry.  Mix until just combined.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter, until smooth and thoroughly combined.


Immediately divide the batter between the prepared cake pans, spreading evenly.  Bake for 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans 10 minutes.  Invert onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the icing, heat the brown sugar, heavy cream, 2 – 1 oz. pieces of butter, and cream of tartar in a 2-3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, while bringing the mixture to a boil.  Allow the mixture to continue boiling while stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.  Transfer the bubbling hot mixture to a stainless steel bowl and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding.  Place the cooled mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on low speed for 30 seconds.  Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, adding the 6 remaining pieces of butter one at a time, until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Increase the speed to high and beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for an additional 1 minute until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake, place one of the pumpkin cake layers on a cake platter or a cardboard cake circle.  Spread butterscotch filling evenly on top of cake.  Top with remaining layer of cake, pressing down firmly.  Frost sides and top of cake with brown sugar icing.  Decorate with extra frosting and nuts  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.