Caramel Pumpkin Spice Cake!

I love trying new recipes using pumpkin, especially for Fall!  This one is a 'poke cake'!  You know the cake you poke holes all over while it's warm and then pour something creamy and yummy over it to soak into the cake!  The creamy and yummy something just happens to be caramel in this recipe and I do love anything caramel also!  This turned out to be a wonderful, moist and delicious cake!  You will want to try this one for sure!  Here is what you will need:  

1 box spice cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 cup Sprite or 7-Up (or any lemon lime soda), can substitute water

3 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (8 oz.) jar caramel ice cream topping

Frosting

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

2 Tbs. butter, softened 

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1  (8 oz.) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

1  1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl mix cake mix, pumpkin, lemon lime soda or water, eggs, oil, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until nice and smooth, but don't over beat this.

Spray a 9"x13" baking pan with nonstick baking spray.   Pour cake batter in the pan and spread evenly.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  When a pick comes out clean in the center, it's done.

Remove from oven and while warm, poke holes evenly all over the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon or with a straw.   Remove the lid on the caramel topping and microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds just to soften enough to pour.   Pour evenly all over the top of the cake.  It will run into the holes and that's a good thing!  Let the cake cool completely before frosting!

Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well blended.   Add in the vanilla.  Fold in the whipped topping.   Spread evenly over the cooled cake.

Sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts or pecans!   Refrigerate until ready to serve!  This cake just gets better as it sits!  It becomes even more moist and yummy!

This is a perfect Fall dessert and it would be wonderful for the holidays!  

Old Fashioned Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze!

  

So many  of you have asked for an old fashioned spice cake recipe.  This recipe is very old and it makes a delicious spice cake, but what really kicks it up a notch is the caramel glaze.  As I have told you before, I love anything with caramel.  This cake is really good to serve as a coffee cake or even a brunch or breakfast cake also.  

 Here is what you will need:

2  1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup oil or shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

Caramel Glaze

1/4 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup cream or half and half

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar (add a little more if it's too thin)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices together.   Cream the butter, sugars and oil together. Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add flour alternating with buttermilk.   Add vanilla. 

Spray a Bundt pan or a tube pan well with nonstick baking spray with flour or grease with butter and flour.   Pour batter into pan and shake from side to side a few times to be sure there are no air pockets and it's evenly distributed.  

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 50 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.   Allow to cool in the pan for about an hour before attempting turn out onto a cake plate.

While the cake cools prepare the glaze.  Melt butter in a heavy saucepan on the stove and dissolve brown sugar in it.  Add the cream and salt.  Bring up to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and beat in the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla. You need to use an electric mixer for this.  If it's too thick add some more cream, too thin, more powdered sugar.   This should be thinner than frosting and pour over the cake easily.

Pour the glaze over the cake after it has cooled some and you have turned it out on your cake plate.

 Old Fashioned Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze!





Applesauce Cake with Buttermilk Glaze!

This applesauce cake is good just by itself, but the buttermilk glaze just takes it to another level.  This cake is moist and smells so good baking in the oven.  It's not a rich dessert, but you can add a scoop of ice cream to it to make it a little more decadent. 

This makes a good coffee cake.   There are quite a few ingredients, but it's really easy to make.  

Here is what you will need:

1  1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup oil or shortening
2 eggs
2 cups self rising flour
2 tsps. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chopped nuts ( walnuts or pecans work well)
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease either  a Bundt pan or a 13x9 inch baking pan.

Cream together the sugar, butter and oil (or shortening) until fluffy.  Add the eggs to the creamed mixture.

In another bowl mix flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Stir in nuts and raisins, if you are adding them.
Add the flour mixture and the applesauce alternately to the creamed mixture. Add vanilla.

 Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.  A pick inserted into the center should come out clean.  Cool completely before inverting onto serving plate.  

While the cake cools prepare the buttermilk glaze.

Buttermilk Glaze:

1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and stir the first four ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat until it comes to a rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute stirring continuously.   Add the vanilla.  Remove from heat and let sit to cool.  The mixture will thicken as it cools.

When it has cooled, stir well and pour over the cake on the serving platter.  This is a glaze so it won't be thick like icing, but should be thick enough to coat the cake.  Make sure your serving plate has some room around the edges to catch any glaze that runs off..



Applesauce Cake with Buttermilk Glaze!