Tuesday, 16 October 2012

• Lets all cook

  Reading some of these blogs about cooking makes me miss cooking and baking. Before my troubles I really enjoyed being in the kitchen and coming up with ideas of what I wanted to try out. I am not saying that I am a chef but others did enjoy some of the stuff that I done. I use to take homemade cupcakes to work and people would grab one throughout the day but it may have been because of the rum that was in the cake and frosting. Anyway the other things that I like to fix are simple things like pizza,taco pizza,pasta bake,lazy lasagna (not baked),stuffed bell peppers,cheesy meatloaf and my own sauce for the stuffed peppers/meatloaf. I use a pre made pizza crust to save time plus it is easier but adding extra flavor to it makes it taste better.

   

  I do look online for recipes which is where I found the Spiced Pumpkin Cake but I do like to watch cooking shows on YouTube. Here are some of them.

  Cooking With Dog 

  RunnyRunny999

  The Simple Cooking Channel

  Nicko's Kitchen

  One Pot Chef

  I haven't been able to try any of the  recipes yet but my sister did and it was good and simple.

   

  I hate beans but I can put thee away like if they were ice cream on a hot day.

  Here is the recipe for the Spiced Pumpkin Layer Cake that I use for my cupcakes.

  Cake:

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut plus additional for garnish

  
  Frosting:

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
  • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (measured, then sifted)

  For cake:
  Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. Sift 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and oil in large bowl until combined (mixture will look grainy). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and orange peel; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated. Stir in raisins and 3/4 cup coconut. Divide batter between prepared pans. Smooth tops.

  Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cakes completely in pans on rack. Run knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper. Turn cakes over, rounded side up. Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops of cakes to level.

  For frosting:
  Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in dark rum and vanilla. Add powdered sugar in 3 additions, beating just until frosting is smooth after each addition (do not overbeat or frosting may become too soft to spread). Place 1 pumpkin cake layer, flat side down, on platter. Spread half of cream cheese frosting over top of cake to edges. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting over top (not sides) of cake. Sprinkle additional coconut over. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

  Cut cake into wedges and serve.

  GOOD TO KNOW:
  It's better to underbeat the frosting than overbeat it. That bit of restraint makes for a slightly firmer frosting that's easier to spread.

  
  I replace the raisins with dried cranberries because to me the cranberries gives it a better taste. I also put some rum into the cake batter because I like rum so you can leave it out of the batter but rum or rum flavoring is needed for the frosting.

   

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