Posted October 8, 2011
Packed with vitamin-rich pumpkin, these lightly spiced cake squares are a delicious autumn treat. Our recipe calls for canned or fresh, and the batter is a cinch for young chefs to mix up. Kids will also learn a candy-making technique as they prepare the cider caramel sauce, a not-too-sweet complement to the cake.
Pumpkin Squares With Cider Caramel Sauce
For the pumpkin squares:
1 cup sugar
11/2 cups flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
11/2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin or 2 cups fresh pureed pumpkin (see “Pumpkin Puree” below)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Ice cream for serving (optional)
For the cider caramel sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
M cup apple cider
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
Salt to taste
Step 1 Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan and set it aside.
Step 2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients for the squares. Add the oil, pumpkin, and eggs, and whisk until the batter is evenly blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Step 3 Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack, about 11/2 hours.
Step 4 Just before serving the cake squares, make the cider caramel sauce. In a medium-size saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar and cornstarch. Add the cider and stir well to dissolve the other ingredients. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until large bubbles form around the perimeter of the pan, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to continue to simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes more.
Step 5 Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the cream and the butter. Let the sauce cool slightly, then taste it and add a pinch of salt, if necessary.
Step 6 To serve the dessert, cut the baked cake into 3-inch squares and top each with a scoop of ice cream, if you like, and a drizzle of warm cider caramel sauce. Makes 12 squares and about a cup of sauce.
PUMPKIN PUREE
Using pumpkin from a can is definitely faster, but making your own pumpkin puree isn’t as labor-intensive as you might think. To make your own for this or any other seasonal recipe, start with a small “sugar” or “pie” pumpkin (we found that each pound of pumpkin yields about a cup of puree). Stem, quarter, and remove the seeds from the pumpkin, then place the pieces skin side up on a foil-covered baking sheet. Bake them at 350 degrees until tender, about 45 minutes. Allow them to cool. Scrape the flesh from the skin of each quarter into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. To store the puree for future use, pack single-cup portions in sandwich-size freezer bags labeled with the date. The puree can be frozen for up to three months.
Judith Fertig is the author of “200 Fast and Easy Artisan Breads: No-Knead, One Bowl” (Robert Rose) and other cookbooks.
© 2011, Disney FamilyFun magazine.