Today’s post is by my friend Paula from Vintage Kitchen. She is one of the sweetest and inspiring bloggers I have met through the blogging community and Sunday Supper. I look forward to her posts and recipes because they come from the heart. She loves cooking, baking, and sharing her experiences. You have to take a look at her Chorizo and Mozzarella Danish Braid and Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Bites. I’m still dreaming about those recipes…
Hi everyone, I’m so happy to be guest posting here today. I’m Paula, I write to you all the way from Buenos Aires where I live. I’ve known Renee for some months now, through our Sunday Supper group. I became acquainted with her through her incredible heritage recipes. Just like that, she and her blog were part of my daily rotation. Now, we share our love for good recipes and this food blogging community that is capable of bonding persons who never met and live thousands of whatever-measuring-unit-you-want-to-use away.
Whenever I open her site, I remember a magnolia tree I used to have, it’s flowers so open and unique, pretty much like our friend here.
So I choose a recipe that made an impact on me. Because it’s simple and tastes so darn good. Perfect for this time of the year when life starts getting hectic. You need a good and easy pumpkin cake recipe. Sheet cakes appeal to everyone and you can’t beat the fact that it can be cut into many pieces and topped with cream or ice cream or a caramel sauce. You can go the fancy way or leave it plain. How does that sound?
As a pumpkin newbie, since I first started using this puree barely two months ago, I am starting to understand the subtleties of the spices used and that elusive pumpkin flavor. Though we all know what pumpkin tastes like, for many it was actually our first few tablespoons of solid food ages ago, the flavor is completely different when baked and mixed with things like cinnamon, sugar, ginger. This pumpkin sheet cake, with the added crunch of pecans, is my favorite recipe so far. It’s not too sweet, the spices are perfect, it’s impossibly moist from the sour cream mixture that is added on top of the batter and then gets baked into the cake, and pecans are the perfect nut with their particular flavor and buttery texture.
So, while most of you are getting ready to celebrate this weekend, I’m starting to feel the real preview of summer. A time of longer days, greener trees and wonderful produce. Let me tell you that this cake is fitting for this weather also. Or perfect if you need to add another last minute sweet something to your table. A piece of cake. And a scrumptious one.
Pumpkin Pecan Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 225g, room tº
- 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 400g
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour 280g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ half cups pumpkin or butternut squash puree
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 Tbs sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tbs whipping cream
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350º. Butter and flour 15x18 inch baking pan.
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In a large bowl beat butter, gradually add brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
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Add flour, baking powder, spices and salt and beat until just mixed. Beat in pumpkin puree.
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Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.
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In a medium bowl mix sour cream, sugar, yolks and cream. Drizzle mixture on top of cake batter and swirl with a knife. Sprinkle pecan on top and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
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Let cool on wire rack. Cut into squares and serve.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit. This recipe can easily be halved and baked in a 8-inch square pan.
Recipe and photos courtesy of Paula from Vintage Kitchen.
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
Wednesday 21st of November 2012
It was so wonderful to guest post for you Renee! Thanks to all the wonderful comments and friends and have a great Thanksgiving week everyone!
Renee
Thursday 22nd of November 2012
Thank you SO much Paula! I am so glad to have your post and recipe here.
CJ at Food Stories
Tuesday 20th of November 2012
I haven't had a sheet cake in ages. With this ingredient list, I may have to give this one a go :-)
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Monday 19th of November 2012
Such a lovely guest post - great job, Paula! I haven't baked enough pumpkin flavoured desserts this fall so this sheet cake is going on the list. Renee - hope you're having a fabulous time!
Patty
Monday 19th of November 2012
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving but thinking about the start of Summer has a definite appeal!!! Beautiful pumpkin pecan sheet cake- wonderful combination of flavors and perfect for entertaining;-) Congratulations on your guest post!
Holly
Monday 19th of November 2012
What a nice recipe-- I have to take a dessert into a teachers' luncheon next week and this looks like it would serve the whole group. It will surely be a hit! Thanks!