Pumpkin Almond Cake
Oh No – it is 4pm, you have guests coming at 6 and you have no dessert ready yet! You need something beautiful, delicious, and easy – never fear I have this cake here! *NOTE… even if you have plenty of time to put together a dessert, I still highly recommend this cake!
One of the beauties of this cake is that it does not need to be stacked, so all you need to do is smooth that icing on top, maybe top with something pretty and you are good to go! This cake uses many of the ingredients you are already using in your holiday baking so chances are, you already have them on hand! If you don’t have something (say almond flour) it can easily be substituted with something else.
We served this cake for our “Friends-Giving Dinner” and I would gladly eat it after any meal. Simple to put together and absolutely delicious: moist and dense with a bit of a crumb. The only “negative” of this cake was that we did not have any Almonds (oops) and so I sprinkled (savory) Cooked Pumpkin Seeds on top, which Rich thought was quite strange!
- CAKE
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour (or use more regular flour & add about 1/2 t almond extract)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- ALMOND BUTTER FROSTING
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 to 4 tablespoons almond milk, to taste
- 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- FOR TOP: 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted, or pumpkin seeds, raw or toasted
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter one 9-inch round cake pan, line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the parchment with flour and knock out the excess flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin puree and beat just until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.
- Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for a few more seconds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan, then turn the cake out onto the rack. Remove parchment, flip the cake right side up, and let the cake cool completely.
- To make the almond butter frosting: Place almond butter, butter, 2 tablespoons of almond milk, 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until frosting comes together and is shiny and smooth. If you prefer a slightly looser frosting, add 1 to 2 additional tablespoons almond milk. If you prefer a thicker frosting, add 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar. Process again.
- To assemble the cake: Transfer cake to a board or serving platter and use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the top. Sprinkle perimeter with almonds or pumpkin seeds.
- The cake can be stored, lightly covered, at room temperature, for up to 3 days
From the Food Gal
Two Years Ago – Chocolate Cheesecake Bars (EASY and delicious, the photo there was snapped quickly and does not doe them justice)
And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… What is your go-to dessert when you have to entertain?
