I always have some canned pumpkin
puree on hand, partially because I have an irrational fear of not being able to
get hold of any around Thanksgiving. Visions of empty supermarket shelves
plague me. Well, this year my fears have been justified: the press has
announced the Great Pumpkin Shortage of 2015, with pumpkin crops
down by about
half and making the supply of canned pumpkin for Thanksgiving tight. So, make
sure you buy a few cans next time you’re at the store – Thanksgiving is just
not the same without pumpkin pie, after all. And there are other great uses for
it, as in this moist pumpkin cake. It’s a casual sort of cake, great for lunch,
brunch,
snacking or bringing to a friend’s house. I top it with a creamy White
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, and a sprinkling of candied walnuts. Serve the
cake right from the pan, at room temperature.
Makes 9 servings
Pumpkin
Walnut Cake:
1 3/4 cups (7 oz/200 g) cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (5.3 oz/150 g) granulated
sugar
3/4 cup (5.7 oz/163 g) firmly
packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) flavorless
vegetable oil (such as safflower oil)
1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin puree
1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (2.6 oz/75 g) walnuts,
coarsely chopped, toasted
Candied
Walnuts:
1/2 cup (50 g/1.76 oz) pecans or
walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon (4 g/0.14 oz) vanilla
extract
2 teaspoons (8 g/0.3 oz)
granulated sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
White
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 ounces good quality white
chocolate, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, at room
temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (104 g) confectioners’
sugar
Make
the cake:
1. Position a rack in the center
of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease
the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan very well.
2. In a medium bowl, sift
together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Whisk to
combine well and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric
mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs with both sugars at medium
speed until pale, about 2 minutes. Add the oil, pumpkin puree, milk, and
vanilla extract and mix until blended. Add the flour mixture at low speed in
three additions, mixing just until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer
stand and stir in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth
the top.
4. Bake the cake for 30 to 35
minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake completely in the pan, set on a wire rack.
Make
the candied nuts:
5. Place the pecans or walnuts in
a small bowl and toss well with the vanilla, sugar and salt. Scatter the nuts
on a baking sheet and bake for 9 to 12 minutes, tossing them once during
baking, until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Make
the frosting:
6. Melt the white chocolate in
the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring frequently.
Remove the pan from the heat and separate the top of the double boiler from the
bottom. Set aside to cool slightly.
7. In the bowl of an electric
mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium
speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the melted white chocolate
and mix until blended. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and confectioners’
sugar and mix until blended. Increase the speed to high and beat until smooth
and creamy, about 1 minute. Use the frosting immediately, as it will begin to
harden quickly.
Frost
the cake:
8. Spread the top of the cooled
cake with the frosting using a small metal spatula. Sprinkle the candied nuts
on top. Serve squares of the cake from the pan.
