Pumpkin Cake

Do you still have pumpkin after Halloween? Try this tender and moist pumpkin cake with smooth crumbs! It has spices scent and spices flavor to enjoy your fall season or beyond the season. Topped with tangy cream cheese frost, it is a totally heavenly balance dessert taste.

People in some countries use pumpkins as decoration. It is usually to celebrate the Halloween party every October 31.

You can see these carving pumpkins exists in countries such as the United States, Canada, or countries in Europe before the Halloween party. Indonesian people don’t celebrate it, but pumpkin is also popular in Indonesia.

People use orange pumpkins as decoration and food. US and Indonesia use the same orange pumpkin for their consumption. If in America is Cucurbita pepo, Indonesian is Cucurbita moschata. The type, taste, and texture of the pumpkin are similar. Moreover, Indonesian use pumpkin to make compote or vegetable food. That’s why I once made two kinds of pumpkin soup; sweet pumpkin soup for Indonesian style and pumpkin soup for American style.

Pumpkin farming in the USA

If you live in the USA, you probably know pumpkin hill. I’ve never visited it. But, I was too excited when my cousin sent the photos.

Two years ago, my cousin, who works in America, sent me a picture. She was so tiny beside the giant pumpkin. Then, I asked her where it was, how the view it was, and what it was. Excitedly, she told me anything about Pumpkin Hill.

She told me that many pumpkin farming in the US. It is because Halloween is the largest commercial festive in the US after Christmas. So, farmers usually deliberately plant pumpkins to harvest them right in October.

Due to the increasing number of pumpkin farming, many pumpkin farming has developed into tourist destinations. At least once a year, they hold a pumpkin time tour in October. The popular Halloween pumpkin festive places in the US are Pumpkin Hill and Pumpkin Rock. But, I want to talk about pumpkin hill because my nephew told me first about it.

Pumpkin Hill

The location of Pumpkin Hill is on Route 110, Shelton, Connecticut, about 2 hours from New York. My cousin said the plantation area was large. It had a perfect color overlay of orange pumpkin and green grass. I can feel it because she sent me some short videos.

The guard at the front gate wore a Jack O’ Lantern costume. Also, at the entrance of the Pumpkin Hill gate, they displayed various sizes of pumpkins. It is from mini pumpkin to monster pumpkin. It was really amazing.

Apart from pumpkin, they sold other fruits and vegetables. My cousin also bought colorful Indian corn and squash. Also, she told me about a large sailboat next to the pumpkin display location. She said it was unique. It looked like Columbus’s sailboat when he found the American continent.

In one corner of the plantation, some cages contained various animals. Some animals in the cages were the animals who liked to eat pumpkins. These animals were a spectacle for kids. The kids enjoyed viewing the animals.

After that, my cousin said she wanted to buy a big pumpkin. She wanted to eat it on Halloween. Also, she wanted to make a jack o lantern using it. That’s impressive. Finally, she got a big orange pumpkin in that place.

Buying Big Pumpkin

Indeed, visitors could buy pumpkins on the spot. If you want, you could also go to the hill to pick yourself in the farming. To that end, the plantation provides a cart with the pull of a large tractor. That’s if you want to buy a monster pumpkin.

My cousin said the price was not much different from the supermarket. It starts from $2 for the small size to $16 for the giant size. The reason she came directly to the plantation was to feel the sensation of picking pumpkins straight from the plantation. She recommends I go there in October or during the pumpkin celebration as a plantation tour.

If you’ve been there too, you can tell me about it in the comments section. I’m curious about your story when you were there. Did you buy a big pumpkin too?

Great Pumpkin Cake Recipe from Pumpkin Hill

After my cousin told me her experience, I asked her what she would do with the pumpkins. Interestingly, she said that the owner of the farming gave her several recipes for pumpkin processed. There is some pumpkin food and drinks recipes on printed paper. It becomes a delighted gift.

There are many pumpkin recipes on the paper. Because of it, she was confused to decide what she would make. So, she decided to make pumpkin cake. She made it with some modifications to the recipe. Yet, she said she found the perfect balance recipe for the pumpkin cake.

After I tried it, it turned out to be a great recipe. It tastes the same as the classic carrot cake but with fewer crumbs, smooth, and moist. You’ll love it too, especially with the cheese frosting. It’s a perfect balance of classic dessert flavors.

The Ingredients of
Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Cake

• Pumpkin Puree baked – I made pumpkin puree from the fresh pumpkin because I couldn’t find canned pumpkin puree. It’s rare here to find the canned pumpkin puree. If you use canned pumpkin puree, use the 100% pure pumpkin puree. The pure pumpkin has more moisture and pumpkin flavor.
• All-purpose Flour – I don’t use cake flour because the batter of the cake is thick and wet. You can change for gluten-free with almond flour and oat flour.
• Baking Powder* double active and Baking Soda – I mix them to get a smooth and moist texture.
• Dark Brown Sugar – It is to make the moist cake. Also, the flavor is the perfect match with pumpkin and spices.
• Spices – I use cinnamon powder, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves. Some people use pumpkin pie spice powder, but I want to measure the spices by myself to get a balanced flavor.
• Eggs – use to thick the batter.
• Salt – for a bit savory taste.
• Cooking Oil and Unsalted Butter – I combine both of them to make a moist batter (from the cooking oil) and a flavorful aroma (from the butter).
• Vanilla Extract – adding sweet and vanilla aroma.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream Cheese room temperature – I use full-fat cream cheese to give the tangy consistency. Be sure to use the cream cheese at room temperature to avoid lumpy frosting.
• Unsalted Butter room temperature – if you use salty butter, the taste will be worse. I don’t recommend it. Also, use it when it is in a smooth texture or at room temperature.
• Powdered Sugar – for the sweetness yet it is still smooth.
• Vanilla Extract – adding sweet and vanilla aroma.
• Salt – adding a bot savory taste.

How to Make
Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Cake

Cut the pumpkin into 3×15 cm then bake at 356°F or 180°C for about 1 hour or until the pumpkin is tender. Crush it with a food processor or you can use a potato smash or a fork. Set aside.

Combine all-purpose flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground clove, and salt. Set aside.

With a hand mixer, mix dark brown sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until just combined, then add pumpkin puree mix again until combined, then add oil and mix again until just combined.

Combine dry mixture into the wet mixture with and mixer until there is no lump.

Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). 

Put parchment pepper into a 22 cm x 22 cm rectangular tin. Pour the pumpkin cake batter then bake for 40 minutes. After baked, chill at room temperature.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix cream cheese, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and salt. After combined add powdered sugar and mix well.

Pour cream cheese filling after the cake is completely cooled. Spread the cream with a stainless knife spatula.

Swirl the cream cheese frosting with a spoon so the look will be pretty.

Enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES

• I made pumpkin puree from the fresh pumpkin because I couldn’t find canned pumpkin puree. It’s rare here to find the canned pumpkin puree. If you use canned pumpkin puree, use the 100% pure pumpkin puree. The pure pumpkin has more moisture and pumpkin flavor.
• In the cake batter, I recommend do not overmix the batter. It will make a dense cake.
• Be sure to use eggs, butter, and cream cheese at room temperature.
• I combine cooking oil and butter. It is win-win solution. I can make a moist cake (from the cooking oil) and a flavorful aroma (from the butter).
• It is better to spread the cream cheese after the cake comes out of the oven.
• If you don’t use double active baking powder, then the amount of baking powder should be 2 tsp.
• I mix baking soda and baking powder to get a smooth and moist texture.
• The spices can adjust with your preference. You can skip the nutmeg or the ginger if you do not like the spice. Moreover, you can add pumpkin spices if you want to get extra spice. Yet, I don’t recommend it. If you want to use it, use a quarter of 1 teaspoon.
• Do not forget to make the cake cool before top the cream cheese frosting. You do not want the frosting will be melt.
• As usual, if you want to make it vegan, you can use vegan-based ingredients.

Storing the Pumpkin Cake

The frost pumpkin cake can last up to a day at room temperature in covered condition. It can be longer if you store it in the container and cover it with aluminum. I recommend storing the cake and the cheese frost in a different container. Besides, it is more hygiene, the texture and the taste will stand. After a day, I highly recommend storing them in the refrigerator with the same cover package.

Freezing the Cake

Actually, the cold pumpkin cake is a tasty cake too. You can eat well in cold or warm temperatures. Same as the other technique, I prefer to separate the cake and the frost into a different container. It is to make it easier when you want to eat that. You have to pack them in the container and cove with aluminum foil. Then, you do not freeze the cheese frost because it can ruin the frost. It is better to make the frost ahead or just keep it in the refrigerator.

YOU MAY LIKE OTHER PUMPKIN RECIPE IDEAS :

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Dinner Bread Rolls
• Pumpkin Soup
• Sweet Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Let me know your result with this recipe by uploading pictures and tagging us at @much.butter on Instagram or Facebook. You can find us also on  Pinterest. Just subscribe to our email for the latest idea menus. Thank you for your support!