Pumpkin Cake

In addition to the amazing cake recipe, you'll need some green fondant and a green ice cream cone. :)
Ok, let's get down to business! (...to defeat the Huns!)

Cake:
2    c pumpkin puree
2/3 c sugar
1.5 c brown sugar
1    c apple sauce

4       eggs
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2    c flour
2  tsp baking powder
2  tsp baking soad
1  tsp salt
4  tsp cinnamon
1  tsp ground cloves
2  tsp ground ginger
2  tsp ground nutmeg

* Heat oven to 350.
* Combine all the wet ingredients and then mix in the dry ingredients. Nothing fancy. Seriously, all I did was dump the dry ingredients in and turn on the mixer - none of this add 1/2 a cup of dry ingredients, mix thoroughly. Continue adding until all the dry ingredients are used - I mean, you can do this, but not necessary.
* Generously butter a bundt pan and then flour it.
* Pour half the batter into pan, and bake for 45 minutes - that worked perfectly for me.
* Let cake cool 5 minutes in pan after you take it out of the oven, and then repeat the process for the second cake. (I washed the pan in between, but you don't have to.)


Ganache (between cake layers):
4 tbs   heavy whipping cream
1/2 c   butter
2 tsp   vanilla
4 tsp   honey
4 oz    chocolate chips
2.5 c   powdered sugar

Put in a saucepan and turn on medium (or high, like me). Once everything is well mixed, take it off the burner and let it cool slightly

Frosting:
8 oz  cream cheese (left out over night - room temperature if possible)
6 c    powdered sugar
4 tbs whipping cream
4 tsp vanilla extract

You know the routine - mix together and add as much orange food coloring as you think is good for a pumpkin.



Ok, now for the completing. I froze both layers of cake, used the ganache to combine the cakes, and then froze the cake overnight.

This morning, I decorated it. I found that it is very difficult to get toothpicks out of frozen cake, not impossible, but difficult. :) I'm not gonna tell you how to put the frosting on - why? because I do a bad job explaining that sort of thing. For me, videos are much more helpful. :)

My excuse for making this cake was for the Pathways Fundraising Banquet for the dessert auction portion. After eating delicious food and having a great time with friends, Sarah, Grace, and I made the long drive home. I ended up taking maybe 40 minutes because... well... Chik-Fil-A was right there, and one of the members of the group had never been before. :) 

So there you go. Two days in the small compact form of a blogpost.