by Patty Endres
Punchbowl.com says, “It’s National Cake Day! On this day, we celebrate one of the world’s favorite desserts – cake.” The cake we know and love today evolved from early leavened breads, which were sweetened with honey, fruit, and nuts. Did you know that the word “cake” comes from the Old Norse word, “kaka,” meaning a baked flour confection?
The reason why we have this national celebration smack dab in the middle of the Thanksgiving holiday season is unknown, but it gives us an opportunity to do something different. Mix it up. One year I made a Mexican Thanksgiving meal that included stuffing the peppers with dressing mix instead of the turkey. I made a spicy chocolate dessert with pumpkin and it was very well-received. So, why not have cake for Thanksgiving?! There are plenty of recipes that would be fun and still keep with tradition of pumpkin or pecan. Here’s a recipe that might just take over your pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin cake:
- White Cake Mix
- 1 Can Pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspon Nutmeg
- Chocolate Cake Mix
- Cream Cheese Frosting Mix
Method: Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease 2 8″ round cake pans and/or line with parchment paper.
Mix each cake in separate bowls and pour into the prepared cake pans. (You may have a bit more of the pumpkin cake mix for the pan size so just make a few muffins with the extra). Bake 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans to cool completely on a wire rack. Using a bread knife, cake cutter or dental floss, slice through each cake horizontally.
Assemble with the chocolate layer on the bottom. Frost with a big dollop of frosting. Add a pumpkin layer, frost. Add a chocolate layer, frost. Then the last pumpkin layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake, using the back of a spoon to make the swirls. You can add orange sprinkles for a festive look. Enjoy your non-traditional thanksgiving dessert!
~ Patty Endres, Garden Square at Westlake Assisted Living, (970) 578-0343