Tag: pumpkin

Pumpkin cream cheese swirl – Giving Thanks

On By felisrecipesIn Cakes9 Comments

pumpkin cheese cake

We enjoyed the warm and beautiful weather here in Toronto for the 2017 Thanksgiving weekend. Like the weather channel announced a June-like weekend in October, the temperatures reached 24 Celsius in the afternoon, and it felt like Spring was around the corner, instead of the cold and rainy Fall that will soon be upon us. But the Auburn colours outside and the stores full of all kinds of pumpkin helped me come back to reality, so to speak.

When I asked my peeps what dessert they’d prefer, I was given two choices: Creamcheese cake was my daughter’s preference and Pumpkin pie my husband’s. At first, I decided to give both of them their options, but I ran out of time, as it’s often the case during long weekends. You know how it is, we think we can do so much each day, and we fill up our schedules to the brink. Sounds familiar, right?

Inspiration soon knocked on my door, and I decided to combine the two deserts, instead; and this, dear reader, is what came out. A delicious dessert to be enjoyed by all.

Here are the ingredients for the crust:

  • 3 cups cracker crumbs ( I used Maria’s cookies )
  • 2 sticks of butter

Ingredients for the pumpkin cream cheese filling  

  • 2 packages of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup of sugar ( pumpkin pie filling has also sugar added )
  • 3 small range free eggs
  • small can of pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Ingredients for the cream cheese filling  

  • 2 packages of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 3 small range free eggs
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation: 

Prepare the pan: spray it with some oil ( optional) Wrap the bottom pan with aluminium foil and place it in a rectangle pan.

In a food processor crumb the cookies. Melt the butter. Mix together the cookies crumbs and the butter. Place the mixture into the pan and even it using the bottom of a glass or your hand. I always like to raise a bit the crust sides with my fingers just to avoid the filling from seeping through the bottom of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Some of the recipes ask to bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes. I usually skip this step because of my old oven, as in the end, my crust would always look burn on the outside.

In two large mixing bowls, using an electric mixer beat together the filling ingredients. Add the pumpkin filling to the pan. Pouring in the middle of the pan add the cream cheese filling. Using a knife make circular moves from the centre to the edges of the pan.

Bake the cake for an hour. When the sides are firm, and the middle slightly jiggle the pie should be ready. Let the cake cool down to room temperature for a few hours.

I baked the cake around 09:00 in the morning so we were able to indulge around 5:00 pm. I put the cake in the fridge for the last hour.

 

pumpkin cheese cake 3

 

pumpkin cheese cake 4

 

pumpkin cheese cake 5

 

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Butternut Squash Coffee Cake

On By felisrecipesIn CakesLeave a comment

In the previous post ” Homemade Almond Milk” I found inspiration on “pastryaffair.com” website.  I decided to give it one more try after making the successful Almond milk ;). This time my inspiration was for a dessert: “Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake”.

I guess it was another success if I consider that my daughter who does not eat pumpkin or butternut squash ate several slices and even she said ” really is this a pumpkin cake ?”  She just loved it 🙂

Ingredients 

For the  Cake

  • puree from 1/2 of a large butternut squash
  • 4  eggs
  • 3/4 cup grape seed oil
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 For Coffee Filling 

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnut instant coffee NESCAFE
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate bites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lined a backing sheet with backing paper.

Wash and cut the butternut squash in pieces. Place the pieces on a backing sheet and bake them for about 30 minutes. I like to cut the squash in pieces as I always like to enjoy a few pieces. Yummy 😉 Of course you don’t have to do this, you can cut the butternut squash in  in half or quarters if it’s too large and bake it. Let the squash coll it down before using it in the cake.

butternut-squash-2butternut-squash

For the cake, in a large bowl beat together the squash, eggs, oil, brown sugar,  and bourbon. In another  bowl mix together the two flours, baking powder and cinnamon . Add the flour mixture to the squash mixture and mix well until all ingredients are combined.  Set aside.

For the espresso filling, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and instant coffee. Set aside.

In a prepared baking pan, add half of the cake batter. Sprinkle half of the coffee filling and add the chocolate bite. Press lightly just to be sure the bite are sticking to the batter. Spoon in the other half of the squash batter and even it with a spatula. Sprinkle the coffee filling  left.

Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes depending on the oven. check the center of the cake with a toothpick; if it’s coming pit clean the cake is ready. Let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cut it in small pieces and enjoy it.

I know I have 😉

pumpkin-espresso-cakepumpkin-espresso-cake-3pumpkin-espresso-cake-4pumpkin-espresso-cake-5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butternut – squash Cake

On By felisrecipesIn Muffins and other sweetsLeave a comment

DSCN6299DSCN6304Whenever I ask my hubby ” What do you want for desert? ” 8/10 times the answer will be….

” pumpkin pie”.

The cake that  I did last time was not really a pie and I will have to do it again to write down the recipe ( with the exact measurements) , but it was a real success.

By memory, here is what I used:

  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 1 cup kefir ( yogurt or cream will owrk as well )
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup of pumpkin seeds
  • 2 table spoons chia seeds

Wash the butternut squash well and cut it in pieces. I did not peal the skin. Put the  squash pieces on a tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake it for about 40 min. Let it cool before you start using it in the cake.

In a large bowl: add the eggs, the sugar and the oil and mix well until creamy. Add the kefir or Greek yogurt and mix well.

In a second bowl: mix together the flour, cinnamon and chia seeds and add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.

After the squash cools down, remove the skin and place it in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of sugar and the cinnamon and puree all together. Add the squash to the egg mixture.

Using a large spoon, add flour to the squash mixture and mix well to incorporate it. Then, add the baking powder and sprinkle the lemon juice over. Mix slowly by folding the flour to incorporate it. Add half of the pumpkin seeds and chia and mix one more time.

Put the mixture in a lined baking tray and bake for about 35 to 45 min depending on the oven. Do the tooth pick test. Let it cool in the tray before cut it in pieces and enjoy it.

Bon Appetite !

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween muffins ( Pumpkin muffins )

On By felisrecipesIn Muffins and other sweets2 Comments

I am not very good when it comes of decorations: cakes , muffins, but I believe you can improve only if you keep trying 😉 This was my very humble try to make some Halloween Muffins 🙂  The muffins turned delicious and funny , I could say.

Halloween 9

Ingredients for the muffins 

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree( home made or canned )
  • 1/2 cup grapes oil
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1.5 cups flour
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

Ingredients fort he frosting

  • 1 pkg ( 8 oz ) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp of unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
  • 2 cups of icing sugar

Let’s get started

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12 piece  muffin tin with liners.

In a large bowl whisk together  the  5 ingredients : pumpkin puree, oil, sugar, yogurt and eggs just until well combined.

In other bowl stir together dried ingredients: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients to the puree cream and whisk until everything is incorporated.

Using  a table spoon or a ice scoop fill in the liners and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick is coming out clean.

Let them cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then remove them on a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

In a large bowl cream together the ingredients for the frosting until smooth and creamy and if the muffins were cooling down start to decorate them using your imagination.

Happy Halloween !!!

halloween 8Halloween 7halloween 4halloween 3Halloween 2halloween 6

Four layers pumpkin and cream-cheese cake

On By felisrecipesIn CakesLeave a comment


Thanksgiving’s cake for 2010 : Pumpkin cream-cheese cake ! It’s a four layers cake filled with pumpkin cream-cheese filling and pumpkin cream cheese and chocolate  filling and frosted with chocolate icing and sprinkled with harvest colored sprinkles. It was a present for a birthday as well 🙂

 

Ingredients for the cake :

  • 8 eggs
  • 8 tbsp oil
  • 8 tbsp flour
  • 8 tbsp sugar ( I used brown sugar so I add 2 extra tbsp )
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 of a large can ( 790 ml ) pumpkin puree ( the other half you are going to use it for the filling )
  • 1 1/2  tsp pumpkin pie spices ( or 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg )
  • 1 of cup milk ( you can substitute with condensed milk or yogurt )

Ingredients for the filling

  • 2 pkg (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 1/2  of  a large can  pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups sugar, better to be powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spices ( or cinnamon and nutmeg )
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Ingredients for the syrup

  • 4 tbsp brown sugar  sugar
  • 1 cup of water
  • few drops of almond extract

Ingredients for icing

  • 1 pkg. (226 g ) Dark Chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tub sweet cream
  • 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, 1 cup pumpkin puree , yogurt, vanilla extract. Whisk together  in a large bowl flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Add the flour to the egg mixture and mix until well combined. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch round pan. Bake it for about 30 min, or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool it in pan for about  10 min then remove it from pan  to a  wire rack to cool completely. In a bowl, using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add sugar, pumpkin puree and spices and mix well. Gently stir in whipped cream.  Take apart 1/3 of the filling. In a pan melt 1 cup of dark chocolate and add the third part of the filling. Cool the fillings in the fridge until using. From water, sugar and almond extract make a syrup on a medium heat and let it cooling down at room temperature. Cut the cake in 3  layers with a serrated knife and pour with a tablespoon the syrup on each layer. Start spreading cream cheese filling between layers. Do not frost the top layer. Cover the cake with an icing made from  melted chocolate chips, sugar and sweet cream. Drizzle with colorful sprinkles.

Bon Appetite !!!