A little evening baking

So I baked a few things recently.  I usually stick to cooking on an open flame - I like to taste as I go so I can make alterations, and I enjoy the artistic and creative aspect of cooking in a pan versus the more scientific nature of cooking in the oven, particularly when it comes to baking.  (Also, sometimes when I put things in the oven, they burn =/... )

Thankfully this one didn't!  But I forgot to take process photos.  I adapted the original recipe to make it a maple-rum-pumpkin cake and you'll find it as follows:

Ingredients

Maple cream cheese filling

8oz package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup confectioners sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Pumpkin Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon allspice

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

16oz of fresh roasted pumpkin puree (or 1 - 15oz can of pumpkin)

[NOT pumpkin pie filling]

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Rum & Brown Sugar Glaze

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ cup butter

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon rum extract

1 cup confectioners sugar

pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

Cream Cheese Fillling

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar together on medium speed until well combined.

Add in the egg, flour, and maple syrup and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Cake Batter
In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda. salt, and spices.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined and homogenous, at least 1 minute.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and gently fold just until combined and no streaks of flour remain.

Pour half the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top. Top with the cheesecake filling, doing your best to leave about a 1 inch border around the sides. Top with the other half of the remaining batter and smooth the top. 

Bake for 70 minutes (less time if using a convection oven). Let cool in pan about 5 minutes then turn out to cool on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Glaze

(Make this when the cake is completely cooled and you are ready to glaze it)

In a 2 qt saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and milk and whisk constantly over medium-high heat. Let the mixture come to a boil and continue to cook for 1 minute.

Remove pot from the heat. Whisk in the rum extract. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar. Continue to whisk the mixture for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture has cooled down slightly. Immediately pour the frosting onto the cooled cake. The frosting will begin to harden right away, so it is imperative to pour it right after it has began to cool and onto a cooled cake.

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So A second bit of baking I did just tonight actually. Far less complex and also.. vegan? blegh.

It's definite a recipe you've seen floating around Facebook before and turns out that it is just so-so… Here it is in all its glory - I added chocolate, thank god.

Taste-wise they're not so bad, but consistency is just all off without the delicious goodness of flour, egg, oil, sugar, and butter.  I'd rather just eat trail mix with one hand and a banana in the other.