And So it Begins...

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So I have been meaning to start this blog FOREVER, and have decided to just jump in and get started. I really wanted to start out with something healthy for Marika, but made a pumpkin spice cake tonight that was just SO delish, that I couldn't help but want to share. So I apologize to Marika and promise to post something healthy next time. :) 

I was originally just going to go to the store and buy a spice cake mix and canned frosting and be done with it. Then I got lazy (yes, I realize that making it from scratch sounds less than lazy, however when you have 3 kids with you, you are looking for any way to avoid going to the grocery store). So to Pinterest I go to find a spice cake recipe. Up pops this one. Remembering I have a can of organic pumpkin in the pantry, I rejoice in avoiding the grocery store and decide to try my hand at making a cake/bread from scratch, with a few variations from the original recipe. :)

Pumpkin Spice Cake

(preheat oven to 325°)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

dash of ground cloves

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and eggs until well blended. Then add pumpkin and vanilla and mix until smooth. 

In a larger bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together until well blended. Don't wear yourself out. You don't want to over mix this, just get all the ingredients mixed up. :) Then grease a medium loaf pan and pour in batter. Bake in a 325° oven for approximately one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Then allow to cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan before removing from the pan. 

 Once cooled completely, it is time to put together the cream cheese frosting. This is the simplest recipe, however can be frustrating, so bear with me. :) All you need is 1(8oz) pkg of cream cheese, 4TBS butter, 1Cup powdered sugar and 1tsp vanilla.
 I laid out the 8oz pkg of cream cheese while the spice cake was in the oven. And should have laid out the butter too. Both cream cheese and butter need to be softened but not melted. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese and butter. Now, the reason I mentioned how frustrating this was is because I used a hand mixer. Of course, the cream cheese and butter kept getting caught up in the mixer and I had to keep pushing it back out into the bowl. I think you could/should just mix together with a spatula, but see my above mentioned laziness? Seemed like it would be easier to mix it, but alas. ;)

 After you get the cream cheese and butter good and smooshed together, then add the vanilla. Once all smooth-ish, then start adding the powdered sugar gradually and keep mixing until frosting consistency. You can keep the frosting in the fridge until you need it, or just go ahead and frost your cake. I frosted the whole thing, ala cake, but you could just put on the top since this is really more like a bread or coffee cake. 

And you're done! Enjoy. It is SO moist and delicious. Let me know what you think. :)

•