Pumpkin cake

I made this cake on Friday for a little get-together a friend’s house…I was surprised how perfectly it turned out. The cake was high, but still dense and moist, and the icing was a perfect match for the pumpkin and spices. I usually don’t like cream cheese icing, but paired with this cake, I thought it was fantastic.

I’m about halfway through Season 2 of Project Runway…oh, Santino. I had heard of him, but nothing prepared me for his drama. He’s different from Wendy Pepper, though…it seemed that Wendy was never really nice to anyone, and was always scheming. Santino is just a drama queen, who seems to be a real person underneath. I think.

I’ve just started Julie and Julia, by Julie Powell…I’m only a couple of pages into it, so I don’t have much to say about it yet, but I’m anxious to read about her year of cooking Julia Child’s recipes. I’m also on the waiting list for The Omnivore’s Dilemma at the library, but I’m 28th on the list, so it will be a while before I can report on that.

Until then, have some cake.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Frosting

  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon each allspice and cloves)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 can (15-ounces) solid-pack pumpkin puree
  • Honey Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350ร‹ลกF. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, butter, and pumpkin puree until combined. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, and mix gently until smooth.

Turn batter into prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan, and cool completely, right side up, on a rack.

Spread top of cooled cake with Honey Frosting. Cut cake into squares to serve.

Honey Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) very soft unsalted butter
  • 1 bar (8 ounces) very soft reduced-fat cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup honey

In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together until smooth.

Makes 16 servings.

Source: Everyday Food magazine.

12 responses to “Pumpkin cake”

  1. So many yummy recipes! So little time to bake! Hope you get “Omnivore’s Dilemma” soon. I loved that book.

  2. The cake looks delicious!

  3. wow, honey frosting! what a great idea. i’ve been craving all things pumpkin and squash these days. i think i’m turning orange! and Julie & Julia was good, although I think I ended up likeing the idea of the book and what she did more than her actual writing. she kind of wigs out a lot, but it was a good relaxing read. makes my occaisonal attempt at semi-difficult recipes seem like a cake walk! and omnivore’s dilemma is on my list too… not being an omnivore, i still want to read it!

  4. This cake was fantastic; thanks for posting the recipe. I have Omnivore’s Dilema if you want to borrow it, too.

  5. THAT LOOKS YUMMY!!! I am going to have to make this one for mom. I think she will love it! You are so awesome! Love you!

  6. Hey, please send me the whole cake! That looks so good! love you!!

  7. hello my love! omg your making me so hungry and its only 3rd period lol! i love the way your cake came out! it sounds and looks so good! cant wait to get some! yum! love you!

  8. That looks just delicious. I’ll have to try it also. As for the book, I’ve been slowly reading it the past week. And I posted about it yesterday ’cause Pollan, the author, is doing a reading here in NC tomorrow night.

  9. MMMMMMMMMMMMM……. how are you always one step ahead of me. I make pumpkin muffins, you make a scrumptious looking pumpkin cake! There’s a limit to how quickly I can keep up! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. This is my most favorite cake ever! My mom has to make it whenever I am around. ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s the cream cheese forsting that does it, for sure. (Tho she does not use honey…hm….we’ll have to try it).

  11. I hope you all do try this cake…it’s too easy and too tasty to pass up. ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m definitely antsy to start reading Omnivore’s Dilemma, too.

  12. Hello! Long time reader, first time commenter. ๐Ÿ™‚

    I’m attempting to make this cake tonight, but only have an 8×8 pan. Do you think that will make a difference in the cooking time? Might take a little longer?

    Can’t wait to taste it!

    Best,
    Jen (a fan in Portland, Oregon)

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