Banana Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Glaze

I adapted this recipe from one found on Veronica’s Cornucopia for Wacky Pumpkin Spice Cake.   Without eggs or milk, this makes a wonderfully moist, soft cake and the light glaze makes a cupcake that’s not too sweet or rich.

• Servings: 12
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1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½  tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup banana puree
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
¾ cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil (Canola)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tsp. banana extract
½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12 cupcake sections or insert 12 paper or silicone cups.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and baking soda.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the banana, pumpkin, water, oil, vinegar, and banana extract.

Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chopped nuts.  Pour into the prepared cupcake pan …

…and bake for approximately 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to stay in the pan for five minutes. After five minutes, remove the cupcakes from the silicone liners and allow to cool completely on a rack.

Maple Glaze
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 Tblsp. maple syrup
¼ tsp. oil (Canola)

Mix the sugar, syrup and oil with a spoon until smooth.

While the cupcakes are still warm, place about ½ tsp. of Maple Glaze on top of the cakes and swirl around with the back of a spoon.

Yield:  12 cupcakes

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake and Topping

I first made this dessert from a magazine clipping in 2002.  I changed a few things and used four 7-½ inch loaf pans to make the cake so it would be easy to freeze some of the cakes for later use.  My husband and daughter loved this dessert.

• Servings: 15
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1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ginger

16 oz box of Betty Crocker One-Step Angel Food Cake Mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the angel food cake mix with the amount of water and according to the directions specified on the back of the box

By hand, fold 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture into the cake batter and then the remaining mixture 1/3 at a time.

Spoon into ungreased tube pan or loaf pans.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven according to the directions on the cake mix box.  I used four 7-½ inch loaf pans and baked for 30 minutes.

Place loaf pans on side on a rack to cool completely for about one hour.

Using a knife, loosen sides of cake from pans and pull up gently from the bottom to remove cakes from pans.

PUMPKIN CREAM TOPPING
5 oz. low-fat cream cheese
½ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ginger
2 cups reduced fat frozen whipped topping, thawed

Combine cream cheese, pumpkin and sugar, beat in spices and flavorings.  A food processor is good for this.  Place pumpkin mixture in a medium bowl and fold in thawed whipped topping.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield:  15 servings

According to my DietPower software:
15 servings of cake without topping = approx. 125 calories per serving
15 servings of cake with 3 Tblsp. topping = approx. 225 calories per serving

The cake and/or topping can be placed in freezer containers and frozen with good results.  Nice to have a quick dessert ready in the freezer.

A good way to use for leftover cake:

PUMPKIN APPLE TRIFLE

In a small skillet, melt 1 Tblsp. Butter and add 2 cups of apple slices.  Cook for 5 minutes, then add 1 Tblsp. Brown sugar, ¼ tsp. cinnamon and 1/8 tsp. nutmeg and cook and stir for another 5 minutes.  Let cool.

Break a slice of Pumpkin Angel Food Cake into cubes and place in a dessert dish.  Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Apple Jack, brandy or orange juice over the cake.  Spoon 1/6 of the apple mixture on top.  Add 2 Tblsp. of whipped topping and a pecan half on top of the apples.  Repeat for 6 servings.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Cider Sauce

This is my take on a two-ingredient pumpkin/cake mix cake that is making the rounds of food blogs.  I didn’t have yellow cake mix and used chocolate fudge instead with the addition of some pumpkin pie spices.  The sauce is a simple confectioners’ sugar mixture using apple cider or apple juice.

This is a really nice dessert and 5 Weight Watchers Points/Plus based on 15 servings.

• Servings: 15
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For the Cake:

• 18.25 box of chocolate cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge)
• 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger

For the Sauce:

• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tblsp. apple cider*
• Approx. 1 Tblsp. warm water

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F

Grease a 9×13 baking pan

To make the cake:

Place the contents of the boxed cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger into a large mixer bowl and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.

Spoon batter into a greased  9×13 baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Do not overbake.  Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.

To make the Glaze:

Combine powdered sugar, apple cider*, and warm water to make a smooth sauce.

*If you are lucky enough to have Boiled Cider on hand, it makes a tangy, full flavored sauce.  I bought mine online at King Arthur Flour.

While still warm, cut cake into 15 squares.  Serve warm or at room temperature with a tablespoon of the Cider Sauce.

Servings:  15

For 15 pieces with 1 Tblsp sauce:

Diet Power:  189 calories, 2.5 g fat, 41.3 g carbs, 2.0 g fiber, 2.1 g protein.
Weight Watchers Points/Plus:  5

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Walnut Fudge Frosting

I adapted this recipe from one found on Veronica’s Cornucopia for Wacky Pumpkin Spice Cake.  Without eggs or milk, this recipe makes a wonderful moist, soft cake.  Veronica used a Maple-Cinnamon Glaze* on her cake but I wanted to use a Pumpkin Walnut Fudge Frosting I had recently developed.  I cook the pumpkin puree over low heat for 2 minutes to keep it from tasting grainy.  This frosting made the cupcakes extra-delicious and rich.

• Servings: 12
• Print

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½  tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (Canola)
• 1 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12 cupcake sections or insert 12 paper or silicone liners.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until thoroughly combined. Spoon into the 12 prepared cupcake pans…..

…. and bake for approximately 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to stay in the pan for five minutes.  If using paper or silicone liners, leave in liners and remove to a rack to cool for five minutes.

After five minutes, remove the cupcakes from the liners and allow to cool completely on a rack.

Yield:  12 cupcakes

When the cupcakes are cool, frost with rich Pumpkin Walnut Fudge Frosting:

PUMPKIN WALNUT FUDGE FROSTING

• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 1 Tblsp. evaporated milk, undilulted
•  ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

In a medium pan, place the pumpkin and cook over medium low heat (#4 on my electric range gauge) for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  A non-stick pan is helpful to keep the pumpkin from scorching.  Add butter and evaporated milk and continue to cook over medium low heat until butter is melted.  Remove from heat and whisk in spices and powdered sugar until smooth.  Stir in nuts.  Cool.  Spread on tops of cooled Pumpkin Cupcakes.  Enough frosting to generously cover 12 cupcakes.

*Veronica’s Maple-Cinnamon Glaze (enough for 12 cupcakes)
½ cup powdered sugar
2 Tblsp. real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Drizzle over cupcakes.

Thanksgiving Wall Hangings

 

Several years ago, my daughter gave me a great redwork piece showing Grandma and kids preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  I had just started quilting and designed a bottom piece to make a wall hanging. 

Above the Thanksgiving scene, I hang a punch needle pumpkin that my daughter made. 

 

She also does rug hooking and made a turkey for the front door ….

….and one with three pumpkins for fall decorating.

I look forward to getting out all these pretty things each November to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Primitive Stuffed Pumpkin

I’m not an accomplished craft person, but I was able to make some cute stuffed pumpkins from a free pattern on Quilt in a Day, (see update below) called the Fall Pumpkin Patch.  There’s a small amount of sewing involved, and then some winding of jute twine and gluing of silk leaves.  I used some white chenille salvaged from a damaged vintage bedspread, but any type of fabric could be used.  The size and shape of the pumpkin depends on the amount of fabric used and good directions are given.  I gave a pumpkin to each of my daughters for Halloween, with the thought that they could stay on display through Thanksgiving.

Update:  It was brought to my attention that the free pattern apparently is no longer available on Quilt-in-a-Day.  My personal instructions are below:

Supplies Needed:

• 1/4 yd. pieces or fat quarters or any size pieces of fabric for the pumpkin
• Green, brown or orange pipe cleaners
• Tacky glue
• Raffia strands
• Jute twine
• 2″ wooden stems from tree branches
• Fall silk leaves – 2-3 per pumpkin

All of the pumpkins are made from rectangles.  They can be any size you like (9″x18″, 9″x21″, 7″x17″, etc.).  According to the dimensions they will come out short and fat or tall and skinny.

Fold rectangle in half, right sides together.  Leave a long tail of thread as you begin to sew and stitch a 1/4″ seam down the side of the rectangle.  Leave another long tail of thread attached after you finish sewing.

With a hand sewing needle, thread one tail into the needle and gather up one end of the tube from the wrong side of the fabric, 1/8″ from the bottom edge.  In other words, sew a straight line across one end 1/8″ from the edge.  Pull tightly and knot off.  Turn tube to right side.

Stuff the pumpkin with polyester stuffing or batting scraps.  With the hand sewing needle and thread tail at the other end of the pumpkin, sew a straight line across 1/8″ from the edge, pull tightly and  knot off.   The opening will be covered by the silk leaves.

Using Jute twine, leave an 8″ tail.  Starting from the top of the pumpkin, wind down the sides on the seam line to the bottom, back to the top on the other side, then turn slightly and do it again, leaving thumb or finger on top to keep twine in place.  Make 6 or 8 ridges.  Tie a knot tightly at the top and then a bow.

To decorate, glue a wooden stem into the top center opening withTacky glue.  Wind the pipe cleaner around a pencil and fold in half.  Glue the pipe cleaner into the opening.  Make a bow out of raffia and glue into the opening.  Glue 2-3 leaves to the top to cover the opening.

Display with pride.

Halloween Around the House

Thanks to the creative efforts of my two daughters, I have Halloween decorations all around the house – on walls, shelves, chairs – just about every surface.  The oldest daughter made the wreath and the three items that are on my piano – the scottie pumpkin is new this year.  Her blog at Salmagundi Express describes exactly how she carved and painted this pumpkin.  

Some more of her work:

The youngest daughter made the little Dracula and pumpkin man along with the door handle piece when she was a teenager.  She also made the cute candle holders.

Her main handiwork now is crocheting the most gorgeous afghans and I have one for every occasion.  She also contributes a large number of these every year to the local Linus Project.

I love to look around my house and see so many beautiful things that my daughters have made for me over the years.