CINNAMON-NUT SWIRLED PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE

This Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Pound Cake recipe is a moist, tender pumpkin bundt cake with a cinnamon swirl throughout the middle.

FOR THE CINNAMON NUT SWIRL:
2 oz pecans, (1/2 cup), toasted
2 Tab white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

FOR THE PUMPKIN POUND CAKE:

15 oz canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) - nearly 2 cups home-cooked
.5 c buttermilk or Greek yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2.25 c plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb
1 Tab ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger 
.5 tsp each of nutmeg and allspice
.75 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
.75 c white sugar
.5 c brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature

FOR DECAF FROSTING:

TO MAKE THE PUMPKIN POUND CAKE:
1.  Preheat the oven to 160°C FF. Generously grease a bundt pan and dust it with flour, then tap out the excess flour. Toast the pecans.

2.  Combine ingredients for the cinnamon swirl in a food processor and process them until they’re in fine crumbs. Set aside for now.

3.  Whisk together the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, and spices.

4.  Combine the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a large mixer fitted with a paddle attach- ment. Beat on medium-med-high speed til light and fluffy: about 3-5 mins. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn the mixer speed to low and add a third of the flour. When that’s almost mixed in, add half of the pumpkin mixture. Continue to alternate adding wets and drys, ending with the dry ingredients. When just a few streaks of flour remain, turn the mixer off and finish mixing by hand, scraping down the bottom and sides with a rubber spatula.

5.  Spoon about a third of the batter into the bundt pan and smooth it out. Add half of the cinnamon swirl mix, then top with more batter. Add the rest of the cinnamon mix, and finish by spreading the rest of the batter on top. Bake cake about 45 mins, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a rack 15 minutes, then invert out of pan and cool completely before frosting.

🎂 CAKE STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
If you make the cake ahead of time, don’t glaze it until shortly before you are ready to serve it (within a few hours is best). Without the glaze on top, you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze an unglazed cake for up to 2 months in the freezer. When you want to serve it, allow it to come up to room temperature and glaze it before serving.

If the cake is already glazed, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Note that the glaze might weep or liquify over time.

 

 

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Honey Sesame Cookies

Every bite has chewy edges with soft, chocolatey centres, making these cookies extra yummy!
They are super easy to make and healthier too. 
Makes 12


.5 c salted butter at room temp (ghee and add salt?)
.5 c honey
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 c white whole wheat flour – try spelt instead of plain flour for denseness – or rye
.5 tsp cinnamon (opt)
.75 tsp bicarb
.5 tsp salt
1.5 c chopped chocolate chunks or chips
.33 c sesame seeds, toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toast the sesame seeds.
2. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat; cook until the butter begins to brown*,
about 3-4 mins. Remove from heat, transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes or so.
(* Let the butter cook until it bubbles up and foams on top. This is when I turn the heat off and continue to allow the butter to cook in the pan. Little brown bits will form on the bottom of the pan. Those are the nutty little bits that will make your recipes extra delicious).

3. To the browned butter add the honey, egg & vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add flour, cinnamon (if using), bicarb and salt and mix til just combined. Mix in the chocolate and sesame seeds. Dough may be too wet to roll yet so let it sit and chill 10 mins to stiffen it: don’t neglect this step!

4.  Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls, place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten the dough down. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, rotate, and tap the baking sheet on your counter 1-2 times to flatten them (don’t omit this).
Bake another 2-3 mins til cookies are just beginning to set on the edges.

5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit there.  Eat warm (highly recommend) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

NOTES:  your cookies will come out flat and chewy with very wrinkled edges and pockets of melted chocolate. They will require no chilling and take less than thirty minutes altogether. They’re even pretty healthy too! Hopefully, you’ll love these and be making them year-round!

– dough can be made up the night before.

– they are more cake-like than we were led to believe.