Pumpkin Spelt Cake with Brown Butter Espresso Buttercream
I don’t know why, but I started to look for canned pumpkin at the grocery store in July. Maybe it is some kind of weird pandemic side effect that this year fall couldn’t come soon enough, or perhaps I always feel this excitement for a new season by the time at least August hits. Whatever it is, I got a good stockpile of pumpkin puree at the ready.
I was so excited to work with Central Milling to develop a few recipes that showcased some of their whole grains. If you have followed me for a while, you might have noticed that I often sub half of the flour called for in a recipe with whole wheat, or my favorite, Organic Whole Spelt Flour. I love spelt because it is a whole grain, but is less detectable to my family than whole wheat (which I do love to use a lot too). Because spelt is a little lighter (not the technical terms), I could make this perfectly light, while still being moist pumpkin cake with only spelt flour.
If you want to be crazy like me, swap out the refined sugars for coconut sugar and maple syrup, or don’t because, YOLO. I mean, I couldn’t resist topping this cake with some brown butter buttercream that was made the perfect amount of bitter with some dandy blend but feel free to use espresso powder. Either way, you will love this pumpkin cake and have to hide it from everyone so you can eat it all.
Pumpkin Spelt Cake with Brown Butter Espresso Buttercream
Ingredients
2 cups Organic Whole Spelt Flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
½ cup softened butter or coconut oil
¾ cup coconut sugar (or ½ brown sugar, ½ white sugar and omit coconut sugar and maple syrup)
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 eggs or flax egg equivalent
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º. Prep either an 8x8 pan with parchment or three 6-inch pans with non-stick spray, parchment round in the bottom, and then spray again.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar and butter.
Add eggs, maple syrup, mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, and then again until well combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan(s) and back for 25-35 minutes, and a tester comes out clean. If you make an 8x8 cake, the cooking time will be closer to 35 minutes, and if you make the 6-inch rounds, it will be closer to 25 minutes.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting. This cake keeps well in the refrigerator for three days.
Brown Butter Espresso buttercream
Ingredients
1 ½ cup butter, divided (you will brown and cool ½ cup of it)
2 tsp espresso powder (I use 3 tsp dandy blend instead)
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp cream or milk
Directions
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt ½ cup butter (1 stick) and cook until butter starts to become foamy, and the white foam turns a light brown. Remove butter from heat and let cool completely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown butter with the remaining 1 cup of butter (2 sticks) and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides.
Add the espresso powder, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mix for 30 seconds and add in the cream or milk.
Mix for another 5-7 minutes scraping down the sides as necessary.
Spread on cooled cake and enjoy it.
PUMPKIN SPELT CAKE WITH BROWN BUTTER ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM
Ingredients
- 2 cups Organic Whole Spelt Flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup softened butter or coconut oil
- ¾ cup coconut sugar (or ½ brown sugar, ½ white sugar and omit coconut sugar and maple syrup)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3 eggs or flax egg equivalent
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup butter, divided (you will brown and cool ½ cup of it)
- 2 tsp espresso powder (I use 3 tsp dandy blend instead)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Prep either an 8x8 pan with parchment or three 6-inch pans with non-stick spray, parchment round in the bottom, and then spray again.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar and butter.
- Add eggs, maple syrup, mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, and then again until well combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan(s) and back for 25-35 minutes, and a tester comes out clean. If you make an 8x8 cake, the cooking time will be closer to 35 minutes, and if you make the 6-inch rounds, it will be closer to 25 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting. This cake keeps well in the refrigerator for three days.
- In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt ½ cup butter (1 stick) and cook until butter starts to become foamy, and the white foam turns a light brown. Remove butter from heat and let cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown butter with the remaining 1 cup of butter (2 sticks) and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the espresso powder, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mix for 30 seconds and add in the cream or milk.
- Mix for another 5-7 minutes scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Spread on cooled cake and enjoy it.