Pumpkin Molasses Cake

The leaves are falling in Colorado and it is finally time to go to the pumpkin patch.  My three kids and I went to the pumpkin patch last weekend and bought 6 brown sugar pumpkins.  They are easy to cook and make your pies and cakes delicious, moist and nutritious.  Pumpkin is very healthy and is a good source of beta-carotene.

Pumpkin Molasses Cake:
Serves: 12

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cloves
3 large eggs
1 cup pureed pumpkin (canned or fresh)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place the brown sugar pumpkin on a cutting board and cut in half.  Scoop out the seeds and place the pumpkin face down on a foiled lined cookie sheet to bake for 1 hour at 400 degrees.  Remove the pumpkin from the oven and allow to cool.  Scoop the pumpkin out with a spoon and place in a bowl.  Puree the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Molasses Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9 x 12 cake pan with cooking spray with flour

In a bowl place the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

Using a Kitchen Aide or mixer place the butter, brown sugar and molasses and cream together for 3 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time and continue to beat the mixture for 2 more minutes.  Then add the pureed pumpkin and vanilla to the batter.  Slowly add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternating as you combine all the ingredients.

Scrape the batter into the 9 x 12 inch greased cake pan.  Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Always test your cake with a toothpick in the middle of the cake.  The toothpick should come out clean.  If the toothpick has some cake batter on it continue to cook the cake until the toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool.  Frost the cake with the cream cheese maple syrup frosting.

Cream Cheese and Maple Syrup Frosting:
Frosting makes enough to frost a 9 x 12 inch cake

12 ounces of cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
4 Tablespoons of butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup of powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons of real maple syrup

Beat the cream cheese and the sour cream together for 4 minutes on high then add the butter and beat for another 2 minutes on high. The cream cheese mixture should be fluffy. Then add the salt, maple syrup and confectionery sugar slowly. Continue to beat until all the ingredients have been incorporated and the frosting is fluffy.  Frost the pumpkin molasses cake with a frosting knife. This cake must be kept in the refrigerator do to the cream cheese frosting.