The Pumpkin Chapter
“The rain started late in the afternoon. Adam huddled under his oilskin, waiting for the dark to come, and when it did he walked through the dripping night into the town of Valdosta. His black hat was pulled down over his eyes and his yellow oilskin was strapped tight against his throat.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
It rained again! And snowed in the high Sierras! Our garden has soaked up every last drop, the trees are dropping leaves and it is much colder at night. This dramatic change of seasons has me baking and cooking warm and comforting recipes. Here is a sweet little pumpkin cake that has found a special place on my fall “must-bake” list. (Disclaimer, this list does not include fall pies. For pies there is no list, they are all worthy of making.) There are three cakes I make each fall: Spiced Cranberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake, Brown Sugar Pear Pound Cake and this Pumpkin Almond Cake with Almond Butter Frosting. What sets this cake apart from the abundance of seasonal pumpkin recipes is the almond butter frosting. I would have never thought to pair pumpkin with almond but Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito did and pumpkin cakes will never be the same. The recipe can be found here.
I have shared my love for the Baked series of cookbooks before with Ultra Lemony Bundt Cake with Almond Glaze, Kiwi Lime Tart with a Pretzel Crust and Candy Bar Cookies. The Pumpkin Almond Cake with Almond Butter Frosting is from Baked Elements, the pumpkin chapter. With an entire chapter devoted to pumpkin it’s tempting to make every fabulous recipe.
Essentials
The cake recipe is written to make a single layer 9” cake, with frosting only on top of the cake, a super easy presentation. This time I took a different approach and made a small three layer cake with 6” cake pans. Make a fancy pants three layer cake when time allows, but a single layer cake will have all the same elements. Do take the time to toast almond slices to garnish the cake, the crunch pairs perfectly with the light crumbed cake and creamy frosting.
And yes, I find the time to make my own almond butter. I like to toast the almonds. It intensifies their almond-ness and deepens the almond color too. A Vitamix will yield the smoothest nut butter but it takes some patience to scoop it out of the bottom of the container. A food processor gets the job done with chunkier results. But its super easy to remove the nut butter from the processor bowl. I get to know all the ingredients and there is freshness in taste that comes from making nut butters that gets lost in all those jars at the store. No judging about nut butters from the store though. Read the ingredient list, there should not be any added sugar (of any type) in a high quality nut butter.
All three sound amazing, Deb, but this one in particular… I love the almond butter frosting!
Thank you Viviane! Happy Thanksgiving!
I die over this cake – I love that you made it into a 3-layer cake instead of a one layer cake. It makes such a gorgeous presentation! Plus, I know that I can make just one layer when I’m feeling extra lazy 🙂
Thank you Natalie! A one layer cake is so much easier!
What a gorgeous layer cake, Deb! I love the almond butter frosting, such a treat!
Thank you Laura! Happy Thanksgiving!
I can see why this would be a “must do” the cake sounds wonderful, looks beautiful with three layers and I love your pretty presentation with the fall leaves.
Thank you Karen! I appreciate the wonderful comment! Happy Thanksgiving!
This cake is stunning with a mouth-watering flavour pairing. I love tall cakes and use my 6-inch pans more than any other pans I own. I adore everything about this cake.!
Thank you so much Jacquee! I’m pleased you enjoyed the cake! Happy Thanksgiving!
How will I pick myself up off the floor, Deb? This really is too much. Adding this gorgeous confection to my must-bake list. Hope you’re having a good pre-Thanksgiving week!
Thank you for the most gracious comment! It’s a very easy cake….especially if you stick to the one layer presentation. Happy Thanksgiving!
Deb – Sorry for missing so many recent posts – I’ve missed your creations and your amazing styling. You need to teach a class – I’ll be your first student. Really. Do you watch The Great British Bake Off? My daughter and I are hooked and you should totally be on that show. I am going to make us schedule a winter or spring get-together – I am so looking forward to meeting you in person. Maybe your creativity will rub off on me 🙂
Beth your lovely comment brightened my day! Let’s do get together sometime! Happy Thanksgiving!
Not only does it look fabulous, it sounds really delicious and almost healthy too! After all, pumpkin and nuts are good for you aren’t they! 😉 Enjoy your cooler weather Deb!
Thank you Cathy!
How perfect is a 6-inch layer cake! Proving that smaller can indeed be better. And homemade almond butter to top it all off. This cake would put a smile on the face of any pumpkin lover, especially mine!
Thank you Mary! Happy Thanksgiving!
You obviously love rain as much as we do. Great being in the kitchen listening to the rain hitting the skylight. Now for this awesome cake…so very lovely. Almost too good to eat, but no way. I’d love a fork right now. I’m ready to dig in.
Thank you for the gracious comment MJ! After four years of drought, the sound of rain is magic!
Gorgeous cake, Deb! And there’s one particular leaf in your pictures that’s absolutely stunning — colors are so saturated. Yay for the rain, delicious seasonal cake, and pretty leaves. 🙂
Thank you Valentina! This year’s fall leaves have become quite an obsession for me!
Gorgeous, delicious, and festive cake… a real must for the upcoming holiday! Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving! xx
Thank you Denise! I appreciate every word you have shared!
Deb, you are outdoing yourself. This cake looks delicious. I never made almond butter , I’ll try making it in my food processor since I don’t have a Vitamix.
Thank you for the gracious comment Gerlinde! Happy Thanksgiving!
Beautiful cake Deb! Great idea about the 6″ pans. Lovely presentation – want to make for Thanksgiving too!
Thank you for the wonderful comment Denice! Happy Thanksgiving!