Now that you’ve contemplated some brute squash mutilation, here’s another use: Place the mashed squash (without butter, bien sûr) in a strainer over a bowl for about 30 minutes. Take that resulting squash and make the world’s deadliest cake: Pumpkin Spice Cake with Grand Marnier Cream Cheese Icing and Dulce De Leche. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I know there are pumpkin cake recipes flying around cyberspace this time of year. I get it. Pioneer Woman made one that looked amazing. I saw her title before starting this post and thought, ‘Aw, geez. She beat me to it.’ Then I looked over the recipes and realized they were two completely different cakes.

Besides, this cake screams, ‘FALL!’ Not only that, but it’s so easy to make it’s almost criminal. The pumpkin and the spice and the creamy, ever-so-slightly Grand Marnier flavored icing and that drizzle of warm dulce de leche over the top sent me out of my head. I was so crazed by this cake that I was moved to sit in front of the woodstove and take pictures of it before I ate it in three bites. I had to eat it in three bites or I would’ve had to share it with the children. It was my sanity food. I do not apologize. I simply explain…

A serious bonus, in addition to the fact that this cake can save the world with its deliciousness, is the fact that this cake is very economical to prepare. If Grand Marnier would kill your budget right now, simply use a teaspoon of orange extract and two extra teaspoons of milk. If you leave off the icing and dulce de leche, it makes a perfectly respectable breakfast. Don’t you want to live at my house now? I give cake for breakfast!

The truth is that without the icing and caramel this is really quite good for you. And with the icing and caramel? Well, it’s good for your soul!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Grand Marnier Cream Cheese Icing and Dulce De Leche

The name may be a mouthful, but you’ll understand when once you’ve eaten it that it’s worth every single pretentious word of it!

For the cake:

• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups roasted, mashed, and drained pumpkin (You can use any number of pureed winter squashes here but I used pumpkin this time. You could also substitute an equal amount of canned pumpkin)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup wheat flour.)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or apple pie spice)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Butter or oil and flour a 13? x 9? baking dish and set aside.

Combine sugar, oil, vanilla, pumpkin and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a bowl for you to mix while standing…) Mix together until thoroughly combined. Now just dump all that other stuff in and blend until even. I mean it. Normally I’m all about the sifting and the dry/wet/dry business, but this cake is quick and easy. The blending process shouldn’t take you all that long. Maybe one minute. Perhaps a bit longer if you’re doing this by hand. Still, not so long!

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smooth the top, and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the cake tests done. Place cake pan on a rack to cool and turn your attention to the Grand Marnier Cream Cheese Icing.

Ingredients for the Icing:

• 8 oz. brick cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pound confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Put all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer (or simply stand and mix ‘er.) Beat together with the whisk attachment until smooth. Spread onto the completely cooled cake.

To plate:

Warm a small dish of dulce de leche, either homemade or purchased. Cut cake, place a piece of cake on a serving plate and drizzle very generously with the dulce de leche. Then lick the spoon because I’m pretty sure it’s against the law to waste dulce de leche.

Consider the itty, bitty amount of work that you put into this cake while you enjoy watching other people’s eyes roll back into their heads as they eat. Then guilt them into washing up the dishes while you eat yours. I tell you from experience it works!

The post above is taken from Rebecca Lindamood’s blog archives. For her most recent recipes, kitchen tips and parenting adventures, visit FoodieWithFamily.com. Rebecca also writes a monthly column in the Record-Eagle’s Food section.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 7:00 am and is filed under Cook's Corner. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.