This may be my new favorite way to have pumpkin. Yes, that's a big statement, but this cake is lick-your-plate-clean good! Stack cakes are traditionally made with apples; but, I wanted to experiment with pumpkin for Thanksgiving. I combined a few recipes I found to make this towering stack of pumpkin goodness.
Never tasted a stack cake before? Apple stack cakes are an Appalachian dessert staple. If you want to read more about these cakes, the cult worthy
BraveTart wrote a fascinating piece on the dessert for
Gilt Taste. Stack cakes are not perfect, delicate beauties. Its their rustic imperfections that make them so appealing. Take a close look at this Pumpkin Stack Cake. No, really, look closely. The layers are not even, pumpkin butter is spilling out the sides, crumbs are falling off of it, but once you take a bite of it, none of that matters.
And, if you decide to try a pumpkin stack cake for your Thanksgiving meal, whatever you do, do not skip the Cinnamon Whipped Cream! In fact, I'm going to whip up a double batch of it to top pretty much any dessert I eat this Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Stack Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cups butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large (29 ounce) can of canned pumpkin
3
cups of Pumpkin Butter (recipe for homemade pumpkin butter, here)
Cinnamon Whipped Cream (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. This cake can be prepared using
three 9 inch cake pans. For a smaller,
but taller cake, like in the above picture, use six 6 inch pans. Line
pans with parchment paper and lightly grease.
Combine flour, baking
powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and
sugars together using a mixer. Add one
egg at a time, combining completely after each one. Add vanilla extract and canned pumpkin, beat
on low for about one minute. With mixer
on low, slowly add flour to pumpkin mixture.
Continue mixing on low until fully combined.
Pour equal amounts
into each pan, spreading evenly. (For
the 6 inch round cake, if you only have three 6 inch pans, bake half of the
batter in those three pans. After
baking, remove cakes, then bake the other half of the batter.) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center
of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Remove cakes from pans and cool.
To
Finish: Before stacking, you may need to cut the tops
of the cakes so that they are level.
However, leave one cake layer uncut, for the top layer. Place bottom layer on cake stand. Spread about ½ cup of pumpkin butter over
layer. Stack next layer on top, repeat
until you’ve reached the final layer.
Serve with Cinnamon
Whipped Cream.
Cinnamon Whipped
Cream: Add 2 cups whipping cream, 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to mixing bowl. Mix just until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until serving time.
