autumn

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Praline Glaze

November 12, 2020 By Ashley Leave a Comment

Halloween may be over but pumpkin season is still in full swing and I am here for it. While many of us are already beginning to pull out Christmas decorations, we can still enjoy the best of pumpkin season with this cake. Now, I may be late to the pumpkin party this year, but I’m bringing you a recipe that is a total fall comfort bake. My pumpkin bundt cake with maple praline glaze is absolutely delicious. It’s perfect for a snack cake, as well as making a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving spread.

Perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, my pumpkin bundt cake is soft and tender from pumpkin purée and sour cream. The maple praline glaze tastes like pralines in glaze form, flavored with butter, real maple syrup and vanilla. Of course it wouldn’t be like a real praline without crunchy toasted pecans sprinkled on top. This cake is easy to prepare and will stay moist and amazing for a few days on the counter. I think it’s better the day after it’s baked. Eaten warm from the oven or a couple days later, this cake is super delicious.

Bundt Cakes and Preparing the Pan

To avoid a major sticking bundt cake disaster, you want to make sure you have a good quality non-stick bundt pan. I use this one by Nordic Ware. Cakes come perfectly out of it every time. Another necessary way to keep cakes from sticking to the pan is to make sure the pan is greased and floured, or to use a baking spray with flour in it. I prepare my pan by brushing the pan with softened butter, making sure to get all of the nooks and crannies as well as the center baking core. Then, liberally sprinkle with flour, hold it up and tap and rotate it so that the flour coats all surfaces. Get rid of the excess flour by tapping out the excess over the sink or garbage can.

How to make the pumpkin bundt cake

Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices get whisked together in a large bowl. Butter gets beaten with granulated and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Eggs are added one at a time until incorporated, followed by the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract. At this time, the mixture could look a bit curdled. There’s a lot of liquid in there. But no worries, it will come together. The flour mixture is added, alternated with the sour cream and ending with the flour mixture, stopping to scrape the bowl a few times to ensure everything is being properly mixed. When all the flour has been added, give the batter one final stir to ensure everything is fully incorporated. The batter is spread evenly into the cake pan and baked.

Bake the cake until a skewer come out with a few dry crumbs. If the cake still looks wet on top, bake until the batter looks set, otherwise you could end up with a gooey layer on the bottom of your cake when it’s turned out of the pan.

How to make the glaze

This glaze is prepared a bit differently than most glazes. Maple syrup and butter are melted together in a saucepan on the stove. Sifted confectioners sugar is whisked in, followed by the extracts. Whisk until the glaze is smooth. The glaze is immediately poured onto the just warm or room temperature cake. The glaze does harden quickly and is similar in texture to a praline. So, so yummy. This stuff is addictive on its own. Sprinkle with toasted pecans while the glaze is still wet.

If you make my pumpkin bundt cake with maple praline glaze, let me know! Tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more delicious fall bakes, check out these recipes:

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

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Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Praline Glaze

Perfectly spiced pumpkin bundt cake with a maple praline glaze topped with toasted pecans.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Servings: servings

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

3 cups (370g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 can (425g) pumpkin purée
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (170g) sour cream, room temperature

Maple Praline Glaze

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup (78g) real maple syrup
1 cup (114g) confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon maple extract, optional
1/3 cup (50g) pecans, chopped and toasted

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Set aside
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition, stopping to scrape the bowl after each addition.
Add in the pumpkin purée and the vanilla extract.
Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, stopping to scrape the bowl halfway through.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, and give the batter one final stir to make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the pan and spread the batter out evenly.
Bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer comes out with a few dry crumbs.
Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
In a medium saucepan combine the butter and maple syrup. Whisk until melted.
Whisk in the sifted confectioners sugar, followed by the vanilla extract and maple extract, if using. Whisk until smooth and thickened slightly.
Drizzle the cake with the glaze. Sprinkle the cake with the pecans while the glaze is still wet.

Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

September 22, 2020 By Ashley Leave a Comment

I’ve been wanting to post this donut recipe for quite a while. I actually came up with the recipe for these back in July, and I’ve been (im)patiently waiting to share them with you. I wanted to create a donut that’s old fashioned, comforting and was abundantly Fall. So when I was planning the recipe for these mulled apple cider cake donuts, I decided to go the traditional route of frying them. They absolutely did not disappoint. These donuts are crispy on the outside, tender and cakey on the inside and made with apple cider, mulling spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves and orange, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Perfect with a cup of coffee on a cool autumn morning.

What are mulling spices?

Apple cider is delicious all on it’s own, but steep some mulling spices in it, and it’s next level amazing. Mulling spices are simply a combination of spices, usually whole, that are used to add flavor to many seasonal autumn and winter drinks, such as mulled wine, apple cider, or wassail. Any combination of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom or star anise can be considered mulling spices. Additionally, fruit is also used as well as a flavoring with mulling spices, such as orange, lemon or cranberries.

I prefer using whole spices – cinnamon sticks, allspice berries and whole cloves to steep in the apple cider. They provide more of a subtle and pure flavor, and I don’t like how much of the ground spices are left behind in the cider.

Choosing an apple cider and steeping the spices

When choosing an apple cider, choose a fresh one, usually found in the produce area or seasonal section of your grocery store. You don’t want to use the one that apple juice from the juice aisle. The best kind of apple cider is opaque with little apple bits at the bottom. This kind of apple cider is more flavorful and has a more concentrated and true apple flavor. Also, note that this is non-alcoholic apple cider.

To get maximum apple flavor, a cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice berries and some orange slices, are steeped in two cups of apple cider that simmers on the stove until the cider is reduced to 1/2 cup. The spices and orange slices are removed and the cider cools to room temperature.

How to make the donuts

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and spices. In a measuring cup, add the milk, melted butter, vanilla, egg and the warm apple cider. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in the milk/cider mixture. Stir until it’s well mixed, and scoop the dough out onto a parchment lined sheet pan or non-stick baking mat. Give the dough a few gentle kneads to make sure the dough is sticking together. It will look pretty rough and craggy, like biscuit or pie dough. Pat the dough into a disc shape, between 3/8″ to 1/2″. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for an hour, or the freezer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 6 cups of vegetable, canola or peanut oil in a heavy bottom pot. I use my dutch oven for frying, as it is sturdy and conducts heat well. Clip a deep fryer thermometer to the side, making sure the glass isn’t touching the bottom of the pot. I misplaced my thermometer, and used a candy thermometer that worked just as well. You can find the equipment I use under the store tab in my website menu.

Heat the oil over medium heat until the oil reaches 370-375F. This will take some time. As the oil heats up, cut out the donuts. You can make any size you want, but for a standard size donut, use a 2 1/2″ to 3″ round cutter, or biscuit cutter. For the donut holes, you can use a 1 1/2″ round cutter, or as my mom used to do, use a floured soda bottle cap to cut out the centers. Combine the sugar and cinnamon together and whisk to combine. This will be used to roll the donuts in once they’re fried.

Once the oil is to temperature, fry two or three donuts at a time, about a minute/minute and a half on each side, taking care to not overfill the pot with donuts so the oil temperature doesn’t drop. I used a stainless steel frying spider, but you can also use the end of a wooden spoon to flip the donuts and remove from the fryer. Be super careful not to drop the donuts to avoid splashing crazy hot oil all over you.

Let the donuts drip off excess oil on a paper towel lined cooling rack for 20 seconds before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Serve the donuts warm or at room temperature with your favorite warm beverage.

I hope that you enjoy these mulled apple cider cake donuts as much as I do! If you make them, let me know and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more autumn recipes, check out these posts:

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

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Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

These donuts are crispy on the outside, tender and cakey on the inside and made with apple cider, mulling spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves and orange, and rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Chilling1 hr

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Servings: donuts

Ingredients

2 cups (480ml) apple cider
5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole allspice berries
2 orange slices, optional
3 ¼` cups (410g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 cups vegetable, canola or peanut oil
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

Stirring occasionally, simmer the apple cider, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice and orange slices, if using, in a small saucepan over low heat until the cider is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Start checking at 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc until you have 1/2 cup (120ml).
Remove the apple cider from the heat, and remove the spices and orange slices. Pour the cider into a measuring cup, and let it cool until warm or room temperature.
Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside.
To the room temperature cider, whisk in the whole milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla.
Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the cider/milk mixture in the center of the well and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.
Scoop out the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Give the dough a few light kneads to ensure everything is sticking together. The dough will be craggy.
Pat the dough to 3/8" - 1/2" thick and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or freeze for 15 minutes.
In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Meanwhile heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 370-375 degrees F.
Once the dough is chilled, cut out donuts with a 2 1/2" - 3" round, biscuit or donut cutter. Use a 1 1/2" round cutter to cut out the centers.
Working in batches to not overcrowd the oil, carefully add donuts to the oil and cook until evenly golden and crispy, 1 minute per side. I use a stainless steel spider to drop in the donuts and remove them from the oil. You can also use the handle of a wooden spoon.
Transfer the donuts to a paper towel-lined cooling rack for 20 seconds; then roll warm donuts in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Serve warm.

Notes

The donuts can be stored for up to four or five days in an airtight container. Note that the outside will soften a bit and won't be as crispy.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

September 9, 2020 By Ashley Leave a Comment

If ever there was THE perfect back to school, It’s Almost Fall, Y’all, sort of treat, it’s most certainly these caramel apple cupcakes. Fall may not be here yet, but it’s right around the corner and that’s close enough for me. It’s my favorite time of year so it’s never too early to pull out all the fall and Halloween decorations in my house. It’s also not too early to dive into fall baking, and this year my caramel apple cupcakes are first on the list. Apple spice cupcakes are filled with a salted caramel apple compote, and topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting, salted caramel drizzle and rolled in roasted, salted peanuts. SO good.

How to make the apple spice cupcakes

The ingredient that makes these apple spice cupcakes super moist is unsweetened applesauce. Fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves makes the cupcakes super flavorful. Like an apple pie in a cupcake. Butter is beaten with brown and granulated sugar until light and creamy, followed by two eggs. After the eggs, and vanilla are incorporated, the batter may look a little curdled. It’s totally ok, keep going. Flour and applesauce are added to the batter alternatively, and the batter is given a final mix with a spatula to ensure everything is incorporated thoroughly.

This batter makes exactly 12 cupcakes. You will use all the batter, so be sure to scrape down the bowl to get every bit of it. After the cupcakes are baked, allow them to cool before adding the apple compote filling.

How to make the salted caramel apple compote

This filling is so good, it’s hard to not just eat it all out of the pan. And when it’s cooking, your home will smell incredible. You can use any apples you wish in this recipe, but I recommend using apples that don’t get mushy. I’ve used Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples because they’re my favorites to bake with. Dice the apples pretty fine -1/2″ or a bit smaller. You want these apples to be to fit in the cupcakes. The diced apples are mixed with a bit of lemon juice so that they don’t brown while preparing the caramel mixture. Butter and salted caramel sauce are melted together in a saucepan. Cinnamon and salt are whisked in, followed by the apples. The apples cook in the salted caramel sauce until the sauce has thickened, and the apples are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Cool to room temperature before using. I will admit, these cupcakes with the apple compote still warm in the center are amazing. But, too warm and the filling could melt the frosting.

To fill the cupcakes with the compote, use sharp paring knife to cut a hole out of the top of each cupcake, while cutting down into the cupcake at an angle, about an 1″ – 1 1/2″. Don’t cut all the way down to the bottom of the wrapper or the filling will fall out. The piece you remove from coring the cupcakes should be a cone shape. Cut the bottom off of the cone, leaving a flat disc. Fill the cupcakes with the compote to the top, then place on the cupcake “lid”.

How to make the brown butter frosting

I firmly believe that brown butter makes all baked goods taste better, and this brown butter cream cheese frosting is no exception. Brown the butter and let it cool until semi-solid, where it’s cooled, opaque and similar to a thick paste when stirred. The brown butter is whipped with the cream cheese until light and fluffy, and confectioner’s sugar is added a cup at a time. This is to avoid confectioner’s sugar from flying everywhere. Vanilla and salt are added, and the frosting is whipped on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy.

I used an ice cream scoop to place equal amounts of frosting onto the cupcakes. Use an offset spatula to spread out the frosting to the edges of the cupcake, but also while keeping the dome shape. The dome shape gives these more of an apple-like look.

Finishing touches

Roll the sides of the cupcakes through the chopped peanuts to coat. The peanuts are my homage to those store bought caramel apples my kiddos love. You can use any nut you like here – pecans are really good with these, or you can omit them altogether if there’s an allergy.

Drizzle the cupcakes with salted caramel sauce. Pop a popsicle stick, lollypop stick or cake pop stick in the center of the cupcakes, and serve. The cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese frosting, but serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more autumn inspired recipes, check out these posts:

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies

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Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Apple spice cupcakes filled with a caramel apple compote and topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting, salted caramel and roasted peanuts

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time18 mins

Total Time58 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: servings

Ingredients

Salted Caramel

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (59ml) water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Apple Spice Cupcakes

1½ cups (185g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (191g) unsweetened applesauce

Caramel Apple Compote

2 cups apples, diced in small pieces I used two medium Granny Smith apples.
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
1 cup (8oz/227) cream cheese, room temp
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 salted caramel sauce
3/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, finely chopped

Instructions

Make the salted caramel

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Stir just until combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar mixture cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns a rich amber color. Take the mixture off the heat to stop the cooking process.
Add the butter to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Be very careful as the mixture is incredibly hot and will bubble up and steam when the butter is added.
Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the vanilla and the salt until smooth.
Let the caramel cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a glass jar to cool completely.

Make the apple spice cupcakes

Heat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until they're fully mixed in. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture into the mixer in three additions, alternating with the applesauce in two additions. Start and end with the flour. Mix until just combined.
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is fully mixed and incorporated.
Divide the batter into the liners. You will use every bit of this batter. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before filling.

Make the caramel apple compote filling

While the cupcakes cool, make the apple compote. Combine the diced apples and lemon juice, and stir to combine.
In a skillet over medium-low heat, combine the butter and the caramel and cook until melted and bubbling. Whisk in the salt and cinnamon.
Add the apples to the caramel mixture. Cook until the apples have softened, and are a bit translucent, and the sauce has thickened, about 5-6 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Make the brown butter cream cheese frosting

Place the butter in a light-colored skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring occasionally.
After 5-8 minutes, the butter will begin browning. There will be lightly browned specks forming at the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma.
Once browned to an amber color, remove from heat immediately and allow the butter to cool until solid, but still soft, like a thick paste.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cooled brown butter, and the cream cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Mix in the confectioner's sugar, a cup at a time, mixing after each addition until combined.
Add the salt and the vanilla.
Turn the mixer up to medium speed, and whip for 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Whip again for another 2 minutes.

Assemble the cupcakes

Using a sharp knife, cut a hole into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a space for the apple filling. The piece you removed will be the shape of a cone.
Spoon the apple mixture inside each carved out cupcake. Fill the cupcake with apple filling to the top. Slice off the pointy end of the cone piece you removed so that it can fit on top of the filling. Place on top of the filling.
Use a large ice cream scoop to scoop heaping portions of the frosting onto each of the cupcakes.
Use a small, offset spatula to smooth out the frosting to the edges, while still maintaining the dome shape.
Place the peanuts in a shallow bowl. Roll the sides of the cupcakes through the peanuts.
Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the cupcakes. Insert a popsicle stick or cake pop stick into the center, and serve.

Notes

These cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. Serve at room temperature.