Art by the Creek

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray with oil/flour mixture one 10 cup bundt pan or one 3D pumpkin mold.

Ingredients

Batter

½ cup walnut halves or pieces, toasted, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups cake flour (200g.)
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/8 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 cup plus tbs. light brown sugar, packed (244 g.)
3 large eggs, room temp.
4.5 fl. oz. canola oil, room temp.
3 tbs. walnut oil, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups solid pack pumpkin, or fresh

Buttercream

Creme Anglaise

¼ cup sugar
1 tbs. water
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup milk

Italian Meringue

3 tbs. plus 2 tsp. sugar
1 tbs. water
one egg white
¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Buttercream

creme Anglaise, 70*
Italian meringue, 70*
2 sticks unsalted butter, 70*
1 ½ tsp. orange juice concentrate, room temp
1 ½ tsp. orange zest, finely grated
orange food coloring

Preparation

Batter

Whisk together walnuts, flour, baking powder/soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat at medium speed eggs, oils, and brown sugar for about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and pumpkin and beat until just smooth. By hand, stir in flour mixture just until completely moistened. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for about 34-35 minutes until browned and tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and rest in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Buttercream

Creme Anglaise

Have at the ready a fine mesh sieve over a metal bowl. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth and have near the stove. In a small saucepan, scald milk and lower heat just to keep it warm. In another small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Stir until all of the sugar is moistened and then apply medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar syrup comes to a boil, then stop stirring and let boil until an instant-read temperature reads 370* and the syrup is a deep amber. Immediately remove from heat and add the hot milk. Stir over very low heat until the caramel is completely melted and smooth. Temper the egg yolks with the caramel, whisking the caramel little by little into the egg yolks, then return the mixture to the pan and apply medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 170* then immediately remove from the heat, pour through the sieve and press to strain all of liquids from the solids. Cool to room temp.

Italian Meringue

Have at the ready a glass heat-proof measure. In a small saucepan combine sugar and water. Stir until all of the sugar is moistened and then apply medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar syrup comes to a boil, then lower heat to just a simmer.

In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, blend egg white until just foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat at medium high until soft peaks form. Slowly start to add 2 tsp. of sugar and beat at high to stiff peaks form.

Return to the syrup, raise the heat back to medium and boil until the instant read thermometer reads 250*. Immediately pour the syrup in the glass measure to stop the cooking. With the beaters on high slowly pour the syrup into the meringue, avoiding the beaters and then lower the speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes. Refrigerate the meringue until the instant read thermometer reads 70* then proceed.

Buttercream

In the bowl of a standing mixer with whisk attachment, beat butter on medium for 30 seconds, slowly beat in the creme Anglaise until smooth. Add the Italian meringue and beat until just incorporated. Beat in orange juice concentrate and zest. Remove about 2 tbs. of the frosting to a small bowl to tint with food coloring an intense shade of orange then stir that in to tint the rest of the frosting.

Frost the cake, and decorate with marzipan leaves and tendrils.

Note: If you want to make this cake, let me know and I’ll loan you the special pan and give you some walnut oil as you only need a little and can only buy it in a big can.

Whew – I can’t believe how much work this was, another one you’ll probably not see again.

Butter, flour and line bottom with parchment a 9X2 cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 °.

Ingredients

Batter

150 g. AP flour
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tbs. cocoa
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ cup sugar
50 grams brown sugar
5 fl. oz. canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cup. shredded carrots (222 grams)
½ cup raisins, tossed in flour to coat

White Chocolate/Cream Cheese Frosting

9 oz. white chocolate, chopped fine
12 oz. cream cheese, cool room temp. (65°)
6 tbs. unsalted butter, cool room temp. (65°)
1 ½ tbs. sour cream

Preparation

Batter

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa and cinnamon together. Sift over a large piece of parchment. In the bowl of a standing mixer, blend together sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla at medium speed for 1 minute. Add flour mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Add carrots and ½ of the raisins and beat again for 12 seconds. Smooth into prepared pan and top with the rest of the raisins. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a rack prior to splitting into two layers and frosting.

Frosting

Melt chocolate gently in microwave. Stir to finishing melting and cool until no longer warm but still fluid. In the workbowl of food processor, pulse together butter, cream cheese and sour cream. Add chocolate and pulse to blend.

Using a flour/oil spray, prepare one 8 X 8 inch cake pan by coating just the bottom with baking spray with flour added. Line bottom with parchment. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredients

Batter

½ cup pitted dates (about 4 large)
½ cup Guinness Stout
½ tsp. baking soda

1 cup all purpose flour lightly sifted then measured, (4 oz)
½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
a pinch of five spice powder

3 tbs. unsalted butter, room temp.
½ cup sugar
¾ tsp. vanilla
1 ½ eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

Butterscotch Sauce

½ cup dark brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
½ vanilla bean, split open lengthwise
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Heat stout just to a boil. Remove from heat, add dates and baking soda. Expect a lot of foaming. Cool to room temperature. Remove dates to workbowl of food processor. Pulse, and gradually add beer mixture through feed tube. Process until thick and smooth. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine, flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Whisk briefly to blend. Set aside.

In a bowl of a standing mixer with flat beater attachment, cream butter, sugar and vanilla at low-medium speed for about one minute, until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs and beat at medium speed (starting slow) for 20 seconds after each addition. Add the flour in three parts, alternating with the date mixture in two parts, blending at lowest speed for 15 seconds after each addition. Do not overmix. Spread dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake about 30 minutes, rotating 180 degrees halfway through. Bake until the cake layer top is nicely brown and springs back when touched. Tester should come out clean.

While the cake is in the oven, combine in a small saucepan the brown sugar, butter and vanilla bean (extract seeds with a sharp knife and blend into butter/sugar). Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and whisk in cream and lemon juice. Serve warm atop cake.

Cool cake in pan about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack, top side up.