Pumpkin Cake from Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking

Submitted by Lani M.



Cake:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat (I used trad.)
1 cup whole barley flour (I used 1 cup cake flour...but am going to try Amaranth flour next time; you just need to use something lower in gluten than reg. flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 3/4 cups packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

Ginger cream cheese frosting:

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups (1 lb) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, I used pecans)
1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger (kind of globby when you process it in the food processor, but it mixes in fine when you beat the frosting together)
2-4 Tbsp milk, if needed, to make frosting spreadable (needed!)

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease 13x9 pan. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Mix together the brown sugar, butter and oil in a large bowl until thick and mayonnaise-like in consistency. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of bowl once or twice to be sure everything is evenly combined. Stir in the pumpkin, then the dry ingredients. Mix until evenly moistened. Transfer batter to the prepared pans. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched and the edges of the cake pull back from the pan, 33-40 min. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before frosting.

To make the frosting: Combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla in medium bowl, and beat them together until they are light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating well. Stir in the nuts, if desired and/or ginger, then add the milk a little at a time until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.

Cranberry-Chocolate Chip pumpkin cake: Stir in 1 cup each dried cranberries and chocolate chips before baking. I meant to do this and forgot, so I put shaved chocolate on top of the frosting along with the nuts! :)