Super Easy White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

Super Easy White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

I am sharing a super easy recipe for a pumpkin cake with white chocolate chips.  It seems like the only time I make this cake is around Halloween or Thanksgiving, but if you like that pumpkin pie spice flavor, it would be good anytime.  Since this recipe uses a box cake mix as a base, it is very easy.

Recipe:

1 box yellow cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines -don't use one with pudding in it)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling-just pumpkin)

1 1/3 cup water

2 TB oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3/4 - 1 cup white chocolate chips

This is how I mix it.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Put all of the dry ingredients (except chips) in a bowl and mix with a fork or wisk.

In another bowl (this will be your main mixing bowl), put all the wet ingredients.  I take a hand mixer and give the wet ingredients a spin on low just to break up the eggs and incorporate.

While I have my mixer on low, I add the dry ingredients to the wet at one time.  Once both dry and wet are incorporated, mix on medium for 2 minutes.  Throw in the chocolate chips and hand mix to finish.  You may wish to toss the chips in a little flour first so they don't all sink to the bottom.

Pour into pans and bake until done.  Sorry can't tell you how long - it depends on the size pan you are using.  It will take longer than what it says on the box.  If you are baking an 8", let it go for about 25-30 min. then check.  If the top is jiggly, it needs more time.  Test with a toothpick to see if it is done.

Cakes:

Here are a few Halloween or fall cakes where the pumpkin cake recipe works really well:

Banana Cake Recipe for Valentine Cake

photo from SallyDealz.com

Banana Cake Recipe for Valentine Cake

I am bananas about my valentine (hubby) and today I am sharing my banana cake recipe with you.  This banana cake gets rave reviews and is SO easy to make, mainly because it starts with a cake mix.  Cakes that start with a mix are almost impossible to mess up.

Recipe

For this cake, I made a double recipe, but I will give you the measurements for a "normal" size cake (8-inch or 9x13).

1 white or yellow cake mix

1 small box of banana pudding

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 large eggs

1/2 cup oil

I prefer using a cake mix without pudding in it because of the addition of the banana pudding.  When we buy bananas, if there are some that are getting too ripe, I freeze them and use in this recipe.  I usually peel them beforehand, but didn't this time (read that you didn't have to).  I like them peeled beforehand.  It is kind of difficult to peel a frozen banana.  I usually put all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another then mix them together.

Preparing the Pans

Before you mix this batter, preheat your oven to 325.  Prepare your pans however you normally do.  I always like to use parchment paper to line the bottom and create a "collar" on the sides.  I wrote a whole blog post on "Collaring".

This recipe makes a very thick batter.  You will have to spread it around in the pan with a spatula.  Here you can see that it rose over the top of the pan (I love collaring)!

Frosting

I made a batch of Swiss Meringue Buttercream and flavored part of it banana and part chocolate.  I cut the cake in half and filled it with the banana flavored buttercream then iced the cake in the chocolate.  I use the Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe from Woodland Bakery.

Decorating

You can decorate this cake however you wish.  I made some fondant flowers, vines and hearts and decorated it with a Valentine's Day theme.  The design was adapted from an original from Czech baker/decorator at jakodoma.webgarden.cz. 

Classic Dessert Cakes

Classic Dessert Cakes

In the past several months, I have enjoyed making (and adjusting) some classic cake recipes.  

It is a slight departure from my usual "decorated" cakes.

Although my decorated cakes taste as good as they look (if I may say so myself), the realm of classic dessert cakes shifts the focus entirely to flavor.  

Sour Cream Coconut Cake

My latest classic cake was the Sour Cream Coconut Cake.  This cake is VERY easy as it starts with a box mix.  If you have a scratch recipe for a very tasty vanilla or butter cake, feel free to use it.  I may try it with a scratch vanilla butter cake recipe I have next time.

You need to plan ahead for this cake as a big part of the flavor requires that it sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.  Here is a link to the recipe: Sour Cream Coconut Recipe

Here is what I did different (or would next time):

When I mixed the filling as the recipe directed, it seemed to "loose" to me.  I thought I would let it refrigerate overnight and see if it firmed up a bit.  It didn't.  My mother-in-law has made this cake many times so I called her to ask if this was how it was supposed to look.  She said she always adds extra coconut to the filling to thicken it up a bit, so that is what I did.  I also would probably cut back a little on the sugar in the filling (maybe 1-1/4 cups vs. the 2 cups called for).  I added about half of a 7 oz. package of dry coconut to the filling to make it a bit thicker.

Once the layers were stacked and frosted, I took some of the dry coconut and applied it to the sides and top.  There is no "non-messy" way to do this, but I think it came out looking pretty good.

Here are some of the other classic cakes I have made lately with links on how to make them.

Five-Star Chocolate Cake

Oreo Cake

Coca-Cola Cake

Buttermilk-Caramel Cake

Classic Southern Buttermilk Caramel Cake...with a twist

Classic Southern Buttermilk Caramel Cake

Caramel just seems to go with autumn.  Think caramel apples or Halloween caramel candy.  This buttermilk caramel cake is a VERY rich cake!  But oh-so-good.  There are quite a few steps but it really isn't all that hard.  It's perfect for a special occasion.  The traditional caramel cake icing is made partly in a cast iron skillet and is difficult to master.  This version uses a buttercream and easy caramel sauce.

Buttermilk Cake Recipe

The Buttermilk Cake is a Southern Living recipe that I changed up a little bit.  Here is how I made it.  You will need:

1 cup (205 g) hi-ratio shortening *

2 cups (396 g) sugar

4 large eggs (room temp)

2-1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cups buttermilk (room temp)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

*I get hi-ratio shortening at a cake supply store.  You can use regular vegetable shortening or butter but your results will not be quite the same.

Beat the shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Gradually add the sugar, beating well. I generally let this go for 4-5 minutes.  You will notice a definite change in the creaminess of the mixture.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Combine the flour, salt, soda and baking powder.  Turn the mixer on low speed.  Add to the shortening mixture - alternating with the buttermilk.  Start with the flour mix (adding 1/3) - then add half of the buttermilk - then another 1/3 of flour- then rest of buttermilk - then rest of flour mix.  Between each addition, let the mixture come together but do not overmix or the cake will be tough.

Stir in the vanilla extract and pour into 3-8 inch pans that have been prepared.  You can either butter and flour them or use parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes OR till toothpick comes out clean.  Once done, let cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out and let cool completely.

It is important that the oven is preheated and that your eggs, buttermilk (and butter if you are subbing out the shortening) are at room temperature.  If you don't have time to bring them to room temp, here is a trick you can use:

Place your buttermilk and eggs in warm water.

Caramel Frosting

For the Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream, use your favorite Swiss Meringue Buttercream and use dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar and use caramel flavoring instead of vanilla extract.  Here is a link to the recipe that I use - Woodland Bakery's SMBC.

Use the buttercream to frost between the layers and crumbcoat.  Put the cake in the refrigerator to chill the frosting for about 20 minutes, then you can give it a final coat of buttercream.  Put it back in the fridge for the final drizzle of caramel sauce.  The buttercream needs to be very cold and firm because the caramel will be quite warm when you pour it on the cake.

Caramel Sauce

The Caramel Sauce recipe comes from Sussie's of Mississippi, a bakery that I believe is not in business anymore.  The recipe was published in Taste of the South magazine.  I have halved it.

***Warning***  Caramel Sauce is very hot and may bubble up.  It will burn!  Please be very careful.  

You will need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. white corn syrup

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Cook over low heat on stovetop, stirring until ingredients are dissolved.  Cook mixture until it reaches around 220-225 degrees.  Take it off the heat and stir periodically until it is cool enough to pour on your cold cake.

If you do not want to make your own caramel sauce, use a pre-made bottled caramel sauce or butterscotch.  This cake was made with Dark Brown Sugar in the caramel sauce and produced a very dark color.

Now That's a Chocolate Cake

Now That's A Chocolate Cake

Recently, I have been exploring the world of dessert cakes.  Unlike the decorated cakes that I normally make, dessert cakes usually don't have any fancy piping or writing on them.

I follow Gretchen Prices's Blog, Woodland Bakery, and when I saw her "Tower of Death Cake" I knew I had to make it (or a version of it).  Go to the Woodland Bakery blog to see a video of how she makes this cake.

I learned several valuable lessons while making this cake that I am going to pass on so if you give it a try, you will know what to do and what NOT to do.

Preparing the Cake

You can start with any chocolate cake.  Gretchen has a recipe on her site, but I just used my regular chocolate cake recipe.  You could even use a box mix, but you would probably need 2 mixes for this cake.  I made mine in 3 pans that are a little more than 8" in diameter.  The thing is you need 6 layers of cake.  If you make 3 layers like I did, just cut each layer in half.  If you make 2 layers, you will have to cut each layer into 3 thin layers.  Before I cut

my cake layers in half, I "leveled" them.  All that means is I took a little bit off the top of the cakes so they would be flat and level.  Here's what they look like when they are leveled.

That contraption in the background is a Wilton cake leveler.  This one had been stored in a cabinet for a long time because I didn't like the way it worked UNTIL I saw a youtube video on a different technique for using this leveler.  I love it now - glad I didn't throw it away.  Here's the tutorial video: How to level a cake  I used that same technique to "torte" - a fancy way of saying I cut each layer into two.

Next, you want to prepare a cake board.  Since I knew this cake would be traveling about 1 hour away, I wanted to make sure it did not slide off the cake

board so I "nailed" it to the board.  To do that, all you do is smear some of your icing on the board before you put your first layer down.  The icing acts as a glue to keep your cake from sliding off.

Stacking the Cake

One of the unique things about this cake is that it is filled with alternating layers of cream cheese icing and chocolate.  Now, in the original cake by Gretchen, she uses chocolate ganache as her chocolate filling.  I used regular chocolate buttercream.  You start with a layer of cake - then a layer of cream cheese icing.  Then another layer of cake - and a layer of chocolate icing.  Then another layer of cake - another layer of cream cheese icing and so on until you get to the top.

Now, here is where I will do something different next time.  Gretchen used a pastry bag to pipe her fillings in.  I always just spread it on like I am icing the cake so that is what I did.  Don't do that!  These layers of cake are very thin and easy to tear when you are trying to ice them like that.  It will be a lot easier to level the whole cake and make sure the sides are straight if you use the pastry bag to pipe in the fillings.

By the way, since these layers are so thin, let me show you how I picked them up and place them on the cake without them breaking into crumbs.  I used a cheap,

plastic cutting board to transport these things.  Unless your cake is frozen and stiff, you probably need to use something like this to help you keep them from falling part.

So, at this point your cake is filled and stacked.  You must place it in the refrigerator before you ice it.  With all these thin layers, if you tried to ice it now it would just move around and fall apart on you.  I place mine in a covered cake carrier and put it in the fridge overnight.  If you have the time, a couple of hours is

all it needs.  When it is sufficiently cold and pretty "solid", just ice it in chocolate buttercream.  Gretchen iced hers very thin, but since my cake was "wonky", I iced it with a thicker layer of chocolate buttercream.

Then - back in the fridge.  Your cake needs to be very cold when you pour the ganache on it.  I kept the cake in the refrigerator until my ganache was ready to pour on it.

Making Ganache

To make the ganache, just mix equal parts (by weight) of heavy cream and baker's chocolate.  Here is what I used:

Chop the chocolate up into little pieces.  Heat the cream until you see bubbles.  Have the chocolate in a bowl, then pour the hot cream over it.  I like to let it set for a minute with a towel over it.  Then whisk it with a wire whisk until smooth.  This will need to sit a little while to thicken up.  The longer it sits, the thicker it will become.  Couple of things I would do different this time - make more ganache.  Since I wasn't using this as a filling, I didn't make as much as the Gretchen's recipe called for.  I should have made more than I did (I used 8 oz. of each).  The 8 oz. really wasn't enough to sufficiently cover the cake.  I used bittersweet chocolate which balanced out the sweetness of the other icings used in the filling and the cake itself.

Also, next time I make this cake, I will not let the ganache get as thick before I pour it.  I was worried it was too thin so I let it sit and every once in a while, I would give it a stir with the whisk.  Once it cooled, it started to thicken quicker and when you pour it on a very cold cake, it pretty much solidifies.

To cover the cake in ganache, I just put the cake on a cooling rack and then put that in a sheet pan (to catch the ganache that flowed off the cake).  Start pouring on the top of the cake, using a spatula to help move the excess off the top and down the sides.  Put it back in the refrigerator to harden up.

I added a little flower made of fondant to the top of mine (the decorator in me just couldn't resist).  The best part about this is that the people I made it for loved it.  Comments ranged from its "sinfully delicious" to "best chocolate cake I've ever had".

Scratch Biscuits

Scratch Biscuits

I tried making biscuits maybe 25 or so years ago and they never came out right, kinda like Ellie Mae Clampett's for those who remember watching The Beverly Hillbillies.  So, I gave up and never really thought about making them from scratch until a few weeks ago.  I gave it another shot and I guess some things do get better with age.  Thought I would share my recipe for those who want to give it a try.

I took the recipe off a bag of White Lily flour and changed it up just a bit.  The first time I made them with this recipe, I used it exactly as written.  Here is the recipe exactly how it appears on the bag.  (I'll share my changes at the end).

2 cups White Lily all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup veg. shortening

2/3 cup-3/4 cup milk

I don't normally keep buttermilk in my refrigerator unless I buy it specifically for biscuits or my homemade buttermilk cake.  So, what to do when I want to make biscuits with no buttermilk (we really don't even buy regular dairy milk).  Here is one way you can still make this recipe without buttermilk or milk.

2 cups White Lily all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

almost 1 teaspoon salt (I thought 1 whole teaspoon made them too salty)

2 1/2 Tablespoons dried buttermilk powder *

4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)-chilled*

2/3 (or a little more) milk or half n half

*you can find buttermilk powder on the baking aisle of the grocery where they carry canned evaporated milk and stuff like that

*You can also add a little vegetable shortening (Crisco) for flakiness

Preheat your oven at 500 degrees (yep...that's 500).  Preheating is very important.  Measure out your flour, baking powder, salt and buttermilk powder into a bowl and blend it with a fork to get it mixed together.  I like to use White Lily flour for biscuits because it is milled from soft southern wheat which is better for making biscuits.  For more on different types of flour, see my post Flour Power.

Take your butter out of the refrigerator and cut into about 10-12 pieces. Put those into the dry mix and blend with a pastry cutter or 2 knives.  I use a pastry cutter and it makes this step very easy.  It is important that your butter is very cold.  I don't take mine out of the frig until I am ready to put it in the dry mix.  I mash it with the cutter a few times and then scrape the cutter off and repeat 4-5 times.  The butter should be about the size of peas when you are done (there are usually some bigger chunks that don't get mixed up as well).

Next, I add the 2/3 cup half n half (or milk or even water) and mix with a fork.  The goal is to get the mixture to "come together" and pull away from the sides of the bowl.  I usually end up adding a little more liquid to get all the flour incorporated in the mix.  You don't want it to be liquid but you don't want it real dry either.  It is going to be sticky but more flour will be added at the rolling-out step.  This is what it looks like when I put it on the counter to start kneading it.

It's kind of a sticky mess and you will have dough stuck on your fingers.  Make sure you throw some flour out on your rolling surface (I use my counter top) before you turn out your dough.  Add a dusting of flour on the top and flour your hands.  Gently knead the dough for 3-4 times.

Unlike bread dough, biscuit dough should be kneaded very gently.  Kneading bread dough will make you break out in a sweat and give your arms a good workout.  Biscuit dough kneading should be gentle and only done a few times to produce a rollable dough.

Take your rolling pin and roll to about 1/2-inch thickness.  I may have rolled mine out a little thin this morning.  I cut out as many as I can, then re-roll the scraps left over after I pick up the first biscuit cuttings.  Each time you have to re-roll, your dough will get a little tougher.

Cut your biscuits out with a cutter, inverted glass, what ever you have to cut them out with and place on nonstick pan or cookie sheet.  I like to use a silpat for biscuits.  The bottoms never get too brown and they never stick.  They aren't cheap but last a very long time.  I have had this one for years.  You can also use parchment paper.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

I have made these with skim milk in place of the buttermilk powder/water mix.  Just use 2/3+ cup of milk for the liquid.  I have also used a milk/half-n-half blend.  I originally bought the buttermilk powder for a cake I was making because we don't drink buttermilk at my house and if I buy fresh buttermilk, it will just get thrown out.  You keep the powder in the frig and it will stay fresh for quite a while.  There are directions on the back for using it in recipes as a substitute for fresh buttermilk.

Give these a try sometime.  They are really quite easy and turn out great.

P.S.   In case you are wondering about the blue coffee container in some of the pictures, that is my flour canister.  I searched for quite a while for a suitable canister that had a mouth wide enough to get my 1-cup scoop in easily.  Never found one but this coffee container works great.

Cooking with Mamaw

Cooking with Mamaw

Some of my great holiday memories are going to my Mamaw's house Thanksgiving & Christmas mornings to help her with the holiday meal.  I once asked her to share her recipes for some of her "signature" dishes, but she didn't use recipes.  She added a little of this and a pinch of that.  So, I decided to bring paper and pen in the kitchen and write down what she was doing as she was cooking.  That is how I learned how to make this recipe that she called Applesauce Cake.

Now, this isn't a traditional cake.  It is more like a quick bread (think banana nut bread or zucchini bread). This cake is great with coffee.   I love the smell of the spices in this cake.

Applesauce Cake Recipe

Here is what you will need:

1 stick butter (room temp)

1 cup sugar

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce (natural apple sauce)

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped pecans

My Mamaw made hers in a cast iron skillet but I use either a loaf pan or mini loaf pan. The mini loaves are great for give aways.  Be sure to grease and flour your pans.  I use a baking spray like Baker's Joy.

In one bowl, cream the sugar & butter.  Mix in the applesauce.  Don't freak out if it looks curdled.  This is how it looks at this stage when I make it:

In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Mix the flour-spice combo with a whisk or fork.  Add the raisins and pecans to the flour mix.  Add the 2 mixtures together and stir to combine.  It will be a thick batter. A VERY thick batter:

Pour into a greased and floured bread pan (or mini loaf pan) and bake at 350 until toothpick comes out clean.  If you use a cast iron skillet or bread pan, it will take about 50-60 minutes to bake.  The mini loaf pan will take less time.

Worth the Scratches

We've been picking blackberries for the past couple of weeks.  There is a large patch of the thorny canes along our fence with the neighboring cow pasture and they have been producing beautiful ripe blackberries for a few weeks now.

If you have ever picked blackberries, you know it requires some preparation in wearing appropriate clothes and making yourself as "chigger-proof" as possible.  I always end up snagging my clothes on the heavily thorned canes as well as getting my hands all scratched up.  Even though I stuffed my pants leg in my socks and sprayed myself with repellent, I managed to still get a fair number of chiggers.

Blackberries are probably my favorite berry.  It seems to me that their flavor is so much stronger than any other type of berry.

So...what to do with all those blackberries.  I used some of them to add to low-fat vanilla yogurt and some to add to pancake batter.  I think I will use some to add to my cereal muffins (made with Fiber One).  I saw someone on a cooking show the other day (I think Pioneer Woman), make blackberry butter.  She took softened butter, mixed blackberries into it and then froze it till needed for pancakes, toast, etc.

I did make a "cobbler" the other night.  I use that term loosely because it is not the traditional cobbler I grew up with - with pie crust like dough.  This is a very easy cobbler recipe I found in a Southern Living magazine.    

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place 4 cups frozen blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish.
Stir together 1 large egg, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup all-purpose flour in a bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Sprinkle over fruit.  Drizzle 6 Tbsp. melted butter over topping.  Bake 40-45 min. until lightly browned and bubbly.

*4 cups frozen mixed berries may be substituted
Fresh fruit can be used (decrease baking time 5-10 min)