Everywhere we look we are seeing pumpkin. We drive by roadside pumpkin stands, see various shapes and sizes at local markets, and notice pumpkin flavored this-and-that on menus at coffee shops and restaurants. It was becoming difficult to ignore; we had to get in on the action.
If you must know, I am not one of those people who look forward to pumpkin spice lattes each year. I like black coffee and pumpkin pie. Separately. So when Keith suggested we work on some pumpkin flavored menu items, I was quite reticent. But leave it to my superman to come through. Keith baked up these mini pumpkin spice cakes that balanced subtle pumpkin spice flavor with just the right amount of sweet. And he topped them with some cinnamon apple compote and a caramelly rich sauce, which made for a delectable fall treat.
These little pumpkin spice cakes make for the perfect individual dessert. They represent our acknowledgement that autumn is here, pumpkins and all. And let’s be honest: a bite of something this delicious makes the shorter days just a bit more bearable.
- 3¾ C All purpose flour
- 1 TBSP plus 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp fresh vanilla
- 2 sticks softened butter
- 2 C brown sugar
- ½ C white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 C milk
- 1¾ C pumpkin
- For sauce:
- 1 large Apple
- 1½ C white sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ C heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Spray 4 small bundt pans (or 1 large bundt pan) with cooking spray.
- Dust with flour and dump out excess flour.
- Whisk together all dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl , mix butter and sugars until well combined and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add vanilla and continue until well mixed.
- With mixer on low, add dry ingredients in small increments until all dry is mixed in.
- Be sure to scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add pumpkin and mix by hand until combined.
- Pour mixture into pans.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out cleanly (about 40 minutes for small pans or 50 minutes for large).
- Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
- TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
- Peel and dice apples and place in sauté pan with 3 tbsp water, 2 tsp cinnamon and ½ C sugar.
- Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Remove and cool.
- TO MAKE CREAMY CARAMEL SAUCE:
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 C sugar, ¼ C water and salt and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium.
- Continue to cook, moving mixture in pan by moving pan, do not stir, cook for about 10 minutes until Amber in color.
- Remove from heat and add cream and vanilla and stir until combined.
- To serve cake remove from pan and place on plate.
- Top with Apple mixture and drizzle with caramel cream sauce.
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