The Frost Is On the Pumpkin and Autumn is Here! Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe

We are getting ready to celebrate the arrival of fall!  Many of you know that fall or Autumn is my very favorite season of them all.  Winter is a close second, spring coming in third and summer, well, you can have it!  Hate summer with a passion.  Who has time for hot, sticky, humid, weather and bugs?  Don't even get me started on sand in your pants from going to the beach.  Yes, Autumn is the perfect season!  Crisp mornings full of cool air with a tinge of wood smoke. Warm but not hot afternoons that are also not humid.  Colorful leaves falling to decorate the earth creating a red and gold carpet that rivals anything any artist ever envisioned.  Autumn is my jam.  

With autumn comes the welcomed arrival of pumpkin everything so I will just go there today with this delicious and simple, from scratch pumpkin cake that will have you dancing like Snoopy on top of her dog house!    

This pumpkin cake is very much the same as my banana cake only instead of banana we are using pumpkin and instead of a few spices we are using a lot of my homemade perfectly pumpkin spice blend.  I will eventually share this with you.  Regular old pumpkin spice will work fine.  If you don't have that, I will give you a simple formula in the written recipe that will be available on my website.  

This cake is simple and delicious.  It is moist and best of all it can be dressed up or down.  I have made it in a Bundt pan in this video because we took this to our monthly church pot luck a couple of weeks ago and this made for simple portioning.  The Bundt cake does take about twice as long as baking this in a 9 x 13 pan, but if you are going for looks, go for the Bundt!     You could also make this in two loaf pans or in two nine inch rounds,  three eight inch rounds or this will make 3 dozen standard cup cakes.  That's a lot of choices!  

This cake has no added oil.  Only the eggs and buttermilk to serve as the fat along with the pumpkin puree to keep the cake moist.  You won't miss it, I promise.  This cake is delicious just the way it is or you go simple and dust with powdered sugar or really go whole hog and slather on some cream cheese frosting.  This is best done if you have made the sheet cake version of this recipe.  Today I chose to go somewhere in between with a simple icing glaze flavored up with maple and vanilla extracts and enough powdered sugar and a splash or two of milk until I got the perfect consistency.  Then I draped that glaze right over the cake and let it dry.

This cake is delicious, any way you make it.  plain, frosted or glazed, you will have them coming back for more!

I hope you give this delicious pumpkin spice Bundt cake a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

You can get a printable version of this  recipe on my website here: http://bit.ly/2d0VTP0

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video:

Noreen's Kitchen

 Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup buttermilk 2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups flour

Maple Glaze 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons maple extract 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2-4 tablespoons milk, to achieve thick icing

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 10-12 cup Bundt cake pan with cooking oil spray.

Whisk together pumpkin puree, buttermilk, eggs vanilla and sugar in a large bowl until well combined.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt and wisk well to incorporate. 

Pour batter into prepared pan and distribute evenly.  Smooth top.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean with no sign of wet batter.  The top will spring back when lightly touched.

Remove From oven and allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, extracts, syrup and 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get a thick but pour-able consistency that will cling to the sides of the cake.

Drizzle  the icing evenly over the cake being sure to glaze down the center.  Allow icing to dry in before slicing and serving.

Store cake in a cake dome or air tight cake keeper.  This cake will last for up to one week, but won’t last that long, if you know what I mean!  LOL!

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake with Prego Pasta Sauce from Wal-Mart

Thank you to Prego pasta sauce for sponsoring today's video! I am so happy to bring you this awesome idea for a delicious dinner that can also be used for lunches, quick snacks and even freezer banking! This cheesy meatball pasta bake is going to be a family favorite at your house the moment you place it on your kitchen table!

I was asked to create a recipe using Prego pasta sauce, available from your local Wal-Mart. With back to school, looming, I know, we are in the middle of the summer, and no one wants to think about back to school, but it really is never to early to be prepared and start thinking ahead. This pasta bake is the answer to not one but multiple meals. This will serve between 12 and 16 servings depending on how large or small you make them. 

I love the versatility of this casserole. I have used homemade meatballs that I make in bulk, bake off and then freeze in meal sized portion. I used about a pound or so, but you can feel free to use frozen meatballs if that is what you have on hand or if you are pressed for time. That combined with the Prego sauce that is always ready to go on your pantry shelf and you have a quick start to a dish that will have people thinking you slaved all day to prepare it!

The creamy, cheesy filling is really outstanding here. Ricotta, cream cheese, mozzarella and parm come together with a few other ingredients to make an amazing sauce that bakes right into the penne pasta and creates a satisfying, delicious dish that you can have ready to go in under an hour.

I have made this in one 9 x 13 baking dish, but you can easily make this in three 8 x8 foil pans, or even divide this up onto single size portions that can be ready to go for quick lunches that you can take to work or send to school if your child has a microwave to heat it up. Another great option is that your teens can reach into the freezer for a preportioned after school snack of this protein packed meatball pasta instead of reaching for the empty calories of junk food!

Having great ingredients on your pantry shelf can make or break your ability to get your evening meal on the table in a flash. Especially during the busy back to school season where you and your family are transitioning from the lazy days of summer to the super busy, activity filled days of the regular school year. This transition can be a challenge for mom and dad even a bit more than for the kids! So be sure to have plenty of great pantry staples on your shelf like Prego pasta sauce, pasta, canned tuna, chicken and veggies and other things your family enjoys so you have options to reach for in the even that hunger strikes and you forgot to plan something. We all have the best intentions, but sometimes life gets in the way and things sneak up on us! Make it easy on yourself! 

I hope you give this Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake a try and I hope you love it!

Thank you to Prego for sponsoring today's video! 

Happy Eating!

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.#CampbellSavings #CollectiveBias

Noreen's Kitchen

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

Ingredients

1 pound, meatballs.  Homemade or frozen 1  pound, Penne, prepared 2 eggs 16  ounces (2 cups) ricotta cheese 8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese, softened 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 cloves garlic, chopped 8 ounces sliced Crimini mushrooms 1, 24 ounce jar Prego Pasta Sauce 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

Cut meatballs into halves or quarters, as you prefer.

Combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, eggs, parsley, Italian seasoning and chopped garlic, together in a large bowl.  Stir together to combine.

Add sliced mushrooms to the cheese mixture and stir well to incorporate.

Add cooked pasta and meatballs and stir well, being sure to incorporate all the ingredients as evenly as possible.

Pour the pasta mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole dish and spread evenly.

Pour pasta sauce over the top and spread evenly to cover.

Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the pasta sauce.  Additionally, you could sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until bubble and cheese has slightly browned.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.  Alternatively leftovers can be divided between some foil storage pans, topped with additional sauce and cheese and covered with a layer of heavy duty foil and frozen for up to three months.  To re-heat, place frozen casserole in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour until the casserole is heated through and the cheese topping has melted.

ENJOY!

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video!

A Taste of the Keys! Key Lime Pound Cake! The Perfect Summer Dessert!

Spring has arrived for many of us, even if I did see my friends in Flagstaff, AZ receiving snow and below freezing temperatures on May 1st!  UGH!  Today I wanted to share with you a recipe for a delicious key lime pound cake that is sure to chase the winter doldrums and put you in the mood for a tropical holiday! 

This pound cake is sweet, but not too sweet, it is tangy and refreshing and perfect!  I am a pound cake fan!  An aficionado, if you will.  We love it plain and with flavor.  My grandmother made a five flavor pound cake that was to die for!  This one is a close second!  This key lime pound cake is just delicious.  A few weeks ago, a friend from church tagged me in a post on Facebook for a recipe for a key lime pound cake with a cream cheese frosting.  She told me how good that it looked and suggested that I be the one to make it for an upcoming potluck supper at church.  So how could I refuse?  She would love it and so would everyone else.  However I did not use the recipe from the post.   I used my own pound cake recipe and I boosted the flavor by making this a key lime pound cake.

Like all good pound cakes this one starts with an entire pound of butter!  Yes, an entire pound.  Remember, this makes a large cake or two standard size loaves of pound cake, so this is going to serve a lot of people.  In all, this should serve between 24 and 30.  You don’t need a large slice to be satisfied.  This is rich and buttery and delicious.  Be sure to use good quality butter and not margarine which is nothing more than whipped oil and will give you a very disappointing, substandard outcome.  So use the butter you will be glad you did.  I prefer to use locally produced roll butter if I can find it, but I also love Cabot Cooperative Creamery butter.  That is the one that I regularly reach for in the grocer's case. 

Eggs, flour, milk and sugar round out the basics and then the flavorizers to boost this cake and make it an amazing tropical, treat reminiscent of a vacation in the keys and a reminder of what Papa himself, Earnest Hemingway may have once enjoyed on a balmy, breezy afternoon on the veranda while writing one of his classic novels.  A bit much?  Maybe, but who cares?  Key limes are very small and sometimes hard to come by so I usually use Nellie and Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice.  Since you need a half a cup for the cake and over a quarter cup for the glaze, that is a lot of tiny little limes to squeeze.  So use the juice in the bottle.  It is really good quality.  I have it on hand all the time.  However, you will still need to use fresh limes to grate 4 tablespoons of zest for the cake and an additional two for the topping.  So about six limes will give you that amount.  You can use the limes for other things like your tea or your gin an tonic if you are so inclined.  They won't go to waste!  I have also used vanilla extract as well as lime extract and lime crystals.  If do not have or cannot find the latter two items, don't sweat it, your cake will be delicious with or without.  The extract and the True Lime powder simply boost the lime flavor and tang of this cake and take it over the top!

I have used a mixer to make the batter, you should be sure to take the time to cream the butter and the sugar until they have become nearly white in color and light and fluffy.  Then add the eggs one at a time and the flavorings and then alternately the flour and milk.  You always want to end with the flour.  Be careful not to over mix and not to whip any additional air into the batter once the flour and milk have been added.  You want your pound cake to be dense not full of air. 

This cake goes in for a long slow bake.  I have used a tube pan.  You can use that or a bundt pan or two standard loaf pans 9 x 5 inches.  The tube or bundt pan bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 40 minutes while the loaves take just 1 hour and 15 minutes.  You will want to do the toothpick test to be sure that they are done properly.  Remember, no moisture on the pick or it goes back to finish for a few minutes longer.  Remove the cake and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

When cooled, simply make up your glaze, drizzle on top and sprinkle with the remaining lime zest.  Voila!  A beautiful tropical treat perfect for any summer gathering or celebration!

This is delicious on it's own but dare I say, topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream will really take this memorable cake over the top!  I promise people will be asking for the recipe!

I hope that you will give this key lime pound cake a try some time soon and I hope you love it! 

Happy Eating!

 Key Lime Pound Cake

Ingredients

4 sticks (1 pound) real butter, softened     Do not use margarine!! 3 cups granulated sugar 6 eggs at room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lime extract (optional) 4 cups all purpose flour (not self rising) 1/2 cup key lime juice 4 tablespoons fresh lime zest

1 teaspoon lime juice crystals (optional) 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup heavy cream Glaze 2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar 5 tablespoons key lime juice 2 tablespoons fresh lime zest for topping

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Beat butter with mixer until light and fluffy.

Add sugar to butter and cream together until light and fluffy, at least three to five minutes.

Using the mixer on low speed, add eggs one at a time waiting 30 seconds between each addition to make sure the eggs are well incorporated.

Add extracts, lime juice, lime zest and lime juice crystals if using.  Stir to combine. 

Add flour and milk in three additions.  Alternating between 1/3 flour and then 1/2 milk, then another 1/3 of the flour, the remaining 1/2 of the milk and ending with the rest of the flour.  Blend just until well combined.

The cake can be made in a large 10 cup Bundt pan or 10 cup tube or Angel Food cake pan or in 2 standard 9 x 5 loaf pans.  Spray the pans well and if desired, line with parchment paper to ensure good release.  Make sure to spray the parchment paper as well.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes for the loaves or 1 hour and 40 minutes for the Bundt or Tube pan.  The cake is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and free of any visible moisture.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and place on a rack to cool completely.

Mix powdered sugar and lime juice together to create a glaze that will drizzle nicely off the spoon.  Spoon over the cake evenly and allow to drip down the sides of the cake.

Sprinkle lime zest over the glazed cake.

Allow glaze to set completely before cutting the cake. 

Store cake in airtight containers, tins, or wrapped well in plastic wrap to retain freshness.


Here is a printable PDF version of this recipe:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_AD4OtxsqvmZ01ESkRwOHVyaE0/view?usp=sharing

See how I made this in my  YouTube Video: