Pumpkin Cake
Pumpkin makes cakes soft and tender with a glowing orange color in a way nothing else can! This Pumpkin Cake is one of a kind. Enhanced with a spiced maple syrup punch and decorated with a luxurious orange-carrot flavored filling. Are you ready to discover all the secrets to making this beautiful Autumn cake?
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Pumpkin Mixture
- In a large frying pan, cook pumpkin puree along with carrot juice, salt, dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger. Cook over medium heat at the beginning and lower the flame as it reduces. Stir often to prevent scorching; it should take about 20 minutes. Now the pumpkin mixture has turned into a flavorful paste, losing pretty much half of its initial weight. Let cool to room temperature before using.
Pumpkin Batter
- In the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the pumpkin paste with the eggs and remaining sugars. Beat on high speed for about 8 minutes; it should fall in ribbons from the whisk. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stop the mixer and fold in the oil in a thin stream with a rubber spatula, then add the sifted dry ingredients. Fill the prepared mold.
Baking
- Preheat a fan oven to 330ºF/160ºC. Bake the pumpkin cake for about 45 minutes. The cake is done when a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Remove from the oven and let the cake stand for 10 minutes, then carefully de-mold and let cool to room temperature.
Spiced-Maple Syrup Punch
- *Bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup is preferred for this recipe. Otherwise, use the best maple syrup brand and add a splash of bourbon to the syrup if desired. Bring all ingredients to a boil together. Turn off the heat and let sit until cool; sieve. When the pumpkin cake is at room temperature, gently prick it with a bamboo skewer. Soak the cake with the room-temperature maple syrup. Refrigerate the cake overnight, just like a rum baba. It will intensify the flavors. At this juncture, the cake can be kept frozen for a few weeks before being finished.
Pumpkin Seeds Praliné
- Toast pepitas and hazelnuts over the stove or in the oven for about 10 minutes. It's ready when seeds begin to pop!.. In a medium size saucepan or frying pan, turn sugar into dark caramel – stay close and don't get distracted. Lower the heat and carefully toss nuts in caramel with salt and vanilla. Spread mixture onto a silicone baking mat. Let cool completely. Break brittles into pieces and save some to decorate the cake. In a running food processor, turn remaining brittles into paste. Processing caramelized nuts into paste takes a few minutes – add oil gradually to ease it. Store praliné for months at room temperature.
Pumpkin Chantilly (Ganache Montée)
- Soak the gelatin in cold water to soften, drain, and set aside. Bring the first half of the heavy cream to a boil with the spices. Turn off the heat, cover, and let infuse for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce the carrot juice to a 25-gram concentrated syrup. Add it to the spice-infused heavy cream. Bring back to a quick boil and pass through a sieve over the white chocolate. Mix well and add the gelatin. Add the remaining chilled heavy cream and blend well. Refrigerate overnight. Whip to medium-soft peaks prior to use.
Montage
- Top the cake with pumpkin seed praliné and pipe out pumpkin Chantilly using a St. Honoré pastry tip. However, any large plain or star tip will do the trick. As for the praliné, it does not have to be spread; add some dots here and there. Decorate the cake with brittle pieces, cinnamon sticks, star anise, candied oranges, and vanilla pods. Enjoy!
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