Holiday Harvest Cake

Amidst the decluttering and other work around here, I occasionally make time for baking, especially when the weather turns chilly. There were pumpkins to be cooked and I took care of one of them yesterday. I prefer to roast or steam them in the solar oven but clouds and high winds yesterday made that impossible. The pressure cooker is an energy-efficient second choice as it only takes 10 minutes (at pressure) to cook a chopped pumpkin. As a change of pace from my usual pumpkin muffins, I made a delicious cake with a rich frosting.

This recipe makes a dense, moist pumpkin spice cake that is vegan and very low in fat. The frosting, while also vegan, is very high in fat. To make a low-fat dessert, let the cake cool and dust with powdered sugar or drizzle a simple glaze over it. For a rich holiday version, enjoy it with the cooked frosting.


Chile's Holiday Harvest Cake

2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (such as King Arthur's brand)
1 2/3 cups organic natural sugar (not bleached)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cups flax seed egg substitute
2 tbs Earth Balance, softened
1/4 cup soymilk
1 tbs vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Oil and flour a 9x13" baking pan, or line with silicone baking mat.*
Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until well-combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.**
Spoon into prepared pan and spread out evenly with spatula.
Bake for 50 minutes until cake tests done. (Knife comes out clean and top springs back when gently pressed with a fingertip.)
Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

If a baking mat was used, remove carefully with this method. Loosen the edges of the cake. Place a large baking sheet over the top of the pan. Holding the baking sheet and baking pan firmly together, invert and gently shake the cake loose. Peel off the baking mat. Place the 9x13" baking pan over the cake (which is still upside down on the baking sheet) and invert while holding the sheet and pan together. The cake will now be back in its pan.

Let cool before frosting.

*KitchenAid's solid silicone baking mats can be cut to custom fit your baking pans eliminating the need for oil and flour, or disposable parchment paper. Please note that the nonstick baking mats with visible fibers, such as Silpat, cannot be cut. Doing so would expose the fibers and be harmful to your health.
**Overmixing lowfat and fatfree batters yields tough baked goods. Not tough as in "Don't mess with me!" but rather not tender or nice to eat.




Chile's Vegan Pumpkin-Pecan Frosting with Coconut

This recipe takes the egg yolks out of traditional coconut-pecan frosting, and adds fullness and flavor with pumpkin.

1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup Earth Balance
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup soymilk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut shreds

Toast pecans in a small saucepan over medium heat until fragrant. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Set aside in a bowl.
Melt Earth Balance in the saucepan. (Don't worry about a few nut crumbs.)
Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and sticky.
Remove from heat to stir in the remaining ingredients.
Return to the burner and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 8-9 minutes.
Let cool for two minutes and then spread over cooled cake.