Pumpkin Ginger Spice Cake

Chocolate Cake, you have competition. 

I used to be of the opinion that the only cake worthy of the name was chocolate, specifically Hershey's Black Magic Cake.  However, after making Zucchini cake several times this summer, and now pumpkin cake, I am willing to be more open-minded.  If you can get your kids to beg for more when you've made a dessert with fresh vegetables, whole wheat flour, and unsweetened applesauce, you know you're on to something!

My pumpkins have had a rough road this year.  The vines developed powdery mildew early in the season, and I tried pruning the worst of the leaves to minimize the damage.  I wasn't careful, and cut the main vine just about a foot from the root.  Amazingly, I didn't lose any pumpkins.  The vines are starting to die, but there are still a few I'm hoping will ripen. 

My pumpkin spice cake recipe was inspired by this one from Pinch My Salt.  It is not too sweet, and I liked it with a sweet butter frosting, but you could forgo the frosting altogether, or sprinkle powdered sugar over the top instead.  

We also roasted the pumpkin seeds, with a little vegetable oil, salt, and chili powder. 



Pumpkin Ginger Spice Cake

• 1 c flour


• 1 c whole wheat flour


• 1 c sugar


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 2 tsp cinnamon


• 1/2 tsp allspice


• 1/2 tsp nutmeg


• 2 eggs


• 1 c pumpkin puree


• 1 c sour cream


• 3/4 unsweetened applesauce


• 1 tsp vanilla


• 2 T fresh ginger, finely grated

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a 9x9 pan, or bundt pan.  In a stand mixer, beat eggs.  Add sour cream, pumpkin, applesauce, and ginger, and beat well.

Add dry ingredients, a little at a time, mixing after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 30-40 minutes until cake pulls away from sides of pan.  Let cool 1o minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with vanilla butter frosting.  The cake is very tender and moist, and is best stored in a cool, dry place, or covered in the refrigerator.

Ham & Cheese Biscuits

Ham + Cheese + Biscuits = Delicious

Plus, I used whole wheat flour to convince myself these were suitable for dinner!

These are drop biscuits, which means no rolling or  cutting.  I meant to add fresh oregano, but I forgot until they were already mixed, so I threw in some dried thyme.  Fresh thyme would be good too, but I can't for the life of me manage to grow it.

Ham & Cheese Biscuits

• 1 c all-purpose flour


• 1 c whole wheat flour


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1 tsp sugar


• 3/4 tsp salt


• 1 c shredded cheddar


• 1 c ground cooked ham (chop roughlyby hand , then chop finely in food processor)


• 2 T chopped fresh herbs


• 1 c buttermilk


• 5 T butter, melted and cooled

Heat oven to 475°.  Mix dry ingredients, cheese, herbs, and ham.  Stir together buttermilk and butter.  Add liquid ingredients all at once to dry mixture and stir until just combined.   Use a 1/4 c measure to scoop biscuits and drop on lined baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes until tops are golden brown.  Brush with melted butter if desired.

I 1 the zucchini...

I've been trying to stay ahead of the zucchini, but 2 escaped me last week, and got quite large.  I shredded them, put half in the freezer, and decided to make a zucchini cake with the rest.  I found a recipe that looked good, but decided to replace the oil with applesauce, and add in some freshly grated nutmeg. 

After dumping the oil and sugar in the mixer, I realized I had no all-purpose flour - only bread flour and whole-wheat.  I'm a big fan of whole wheat, and have been baking all of our bread for the last month or two, but I believe in white flour for cakes.  I knew bread flour would be a disaster, so whole-wheat it had to be. 

I'd seen another zucchini cake recipe that used oatmeal, so I used 1/2 c quick oats and 1 1/2 c flour.  I did not have high hopes at this point, so I figured I might as well go all-out with the experimentation, and make a jelly roll. 

I baked it, rolled it, chilled it, and filled it with cream cheese frosting, and everyone loved it.  And except for the sugar, it could practically be health food!

The walnuts I used came from Nutsonline.com.  I had to order pine nuts to make pesto because I couldn't find anything reasonably priced locally, but I was a little skeptical.  Not anymore - I have a walnut tree in my backyard and these nuts were just as fresh. 

Zucchini Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 c unsweetened applesauce


• 2 c sugar


• 3 eggs


• 2 tsp vanilla


• 1 1/2 c whole-wheat flour


• 1/2 c quick cooking oats


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 2 tsp cinnamon


• 1/2 tsp nutmeg


• 2 c grated zucchini (skin on)


• 1 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375°.  Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil, grease and flour. 

Mix the applesauce and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  In another bowl, mix dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture, alternating with zucchini.  Stir in walnuts. 

Pour into prepared pan and bake 15-20 minutes.  Immediately transfer cake to a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Roll the cake up with the towel, and allow to cool. 

Unroll, spread icing over entire surface, and re-roll.  Sift powdered sugar over the top.  Chill, slice, and serve.

Icing:

• 1 8oz package cream cheese


• 1 stick butter


• 1 tsp vanilla


• 3 c powdered sugar

Cream together butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla.  Beat in sugar until smooth.