marsha-tbay
Well-known member
Thanksgiving Spiced Layer Cake with Pumpkin Cream Frosting
FOODday
Cake:
2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks at room temperature
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups cake flour
1½ cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
½ cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks (1 stick)
1/8 cup vegetable oil
Frosting:
8 ounces mascarpone
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
½ cup whipping cream
1 1/3 cups toasted pecans, chopped (see note; divided)
To make cake: Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake panes, then line them with parchment cut to fit bottoms. Butter and flour parchment.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, buttermilk and vanilla.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and allspice into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on slow speed 30 seconds. Add butter and oil and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds more. Increase speed to medium and beat 1½ minutes, stopping machine as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg-buttermilk mixture in three equal additions, beating about 30 seconds after each or until incorporated.
Divide batter between pans, smoothing tops with a spatula. Bake until a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and cool 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Remove parchment.
To make Frosting: Whisk together mascarpone, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice until smooth and blended. Then whisk in bourbon to taste.
In a separate bowl, whip cream until firm peaks form, then fold it into the pumpkin mixture. Refrigerate 15 minutes before using. After frosting has chilled, measure out 2 1/4 cups into a separate bowl. To this portion add 1 cup pecans and stir to blend well.
To assemble, halve cake layers horizontally so that you have 4 rounds. Place a cake layer bottom (cut side up) on a serving plate. Spread a heaping 3/4 cup of the frosting with nuts over the cake round.
Place the next cake layer cut side down and continue icing and stacking remaining layers in this way.
For the top of the last layer, spread with a portion of the nut-free frosting and make swirl patterns with a spatula, then ice the sides of the cake.
Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup pecans in a border on top of cake.
Cover cake with a cake dome and refrigerate 3 hours or longer before serving.
(Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before slicing.)
Note: To toast nuts, spread on baking sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until they start to brown. Serves 10.
Wittlie-craftckbk
FOODday
Cake:
2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks at room temperature
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups cake flour
1½ cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
½ cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks (1 stick)
1/8 cup vegetable oil
Frosting:
8 ounces mascarpone
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
½ cup whipping cream
1 1/3 cups toasted pecans, chopped (see note; divided)
To make cake: Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake panes, then line them with parchment cut to fit bottoms. Butter and flour parchment.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, buttermilk and vanilla.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and allspice into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on slow speed 30 seconds. Add butter and oil and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds more. Increase speed to medium and beat 1½ minutes, stopping machine as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg-buttermilk mixture in three equal additions, beating about 30 seconds after each or until incorporated.
Divide batter between pans, smoothing tops with a spatula. Bake until a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and cool 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Remove parchment.
To make Frosting: Whisk together mascarpone, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice until smooth and blended. Then whisk in bourbon to taste.
In a separate bowl, whip cream until firm peaks form, then fold it into the pumpkin mixture. Refrigerate 15 minutes before using. After frosting has chilled, measure out 2 1/4 cups into a separate bowl. To this portion add 1 cup pecans and stir to blend well.
To assemble, halve cake layers horizontally so that you have 4 rounds. Place a cake layer bottom (cut side up) on a serving plate. Spread a heaping 3/4 cup of the frosting with nuts over the cake round.
Place the next cake layer cut side down and continue icing and stacking remaining layers in this way.
For the top of the last layer, spread with a portion of the nut-free frosting and make swirl patterns with a spatula, then ice the sides of the cake.
Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup pecans in a border on top of cake.
Cover cake with a cake dome and refrigerate 3 hours or longer before serving.
(Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before slicing.)
Note: To toast nuts, spread on baking sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until they start to brown. Serves 10.
Wittlie-craftckbk