Pumpkin Banana Bread With Browned Butter Frosting Food

PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD WITH BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F, then spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and flour the pan; set aside.
• In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute.
• To the melted butter, add the sugars, egg, yogurt, vanilla, molasses, and stir or whisk to combine.
• Add pumpkin puree, bananas, and stir to incorporate.
• Add the optional add-ins and the dry pudding mix (Note: You are not making pudding; simply add the mix as a dry ingredient).
• Stir in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cloves.(All spices should be added to taste; if you like a heavier cinnamon or pumpkin-pie flavor, add more. If you don't keep them all on hand, not a big deal; use what you do have)
• Add the flour and baking soda and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix or bread will become tough (this is a fairly thick batter).
• Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for about 60 to 68 minutes (this is for one 9-by-5-inch loaf), or until top is golden and set, and a wooden skewer, cake tester, or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (If bread is browning a bit fast on the top, you may wish to lower your oven temperature to 325F or tent the pan with foil in approximately the last 20 minutes of cooking).
• Allow bread to cool in the loaf pan for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
• Store unfrosted bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or store frosted bread in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Unfrosted bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• You can brown the butter in a small saucepan on the stovetop, heating over medium heat. Swirl the pan or stir frequently for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sputtering, crackling, and foaming has subsided, the butter has browned, and has a nutty aroma. Watch it closely so that it doesn't go from browned and nutty to burnt and inedible.
• Or, brown the butter in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl by heating it on high power, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sputtering, crackling, and foaming has subsided, the butter has browned, and has a nutty aroma. The same rules apply in the microwave as on the stovetop; watch it closely and start checking it every 15-to-30 seconds starting at about the 5-minute mark, so that it doesn't go from browned and nutty to burnt and inedible.
• Transfer hot butter to medium-sized mixing bowl and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Add the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
• Based on desired frosting consistency and taste preference, add the cream or milk one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached, playing with sugar and cream ratios as necessary.
• Drizzle or spread frosting over the top of the bread before slicing and serving; or slice, serve, and frost each piece individually. I prefer to use the frosting like butter and spread it liberally on the interior surface of a slice.
• Store extra frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE WITH BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING

Steps:

• Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grease and flour two 8" cake pans.
• In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves until mixed. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer beat softened butter and shortening on high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla and continue mixing. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and pumpkin. Alternately add flour mixture and pumpkin mixture to butter and sugar mixture, ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into prepared pans. Batter will be thick. Use a spatula to spread evenly in pans or cakes will be lumpy.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
• For Frosting:.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking at a simmer until butter turns the color of light brown sugar. This will take a few minutes. Remove from heat and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar with milk and vanilla. Add browned butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed, adding more milk as needed to get a spreading consistency.
• Frost cake. If using, press toasted pecans around side of cake. Can take a sieve or sifter and dust the top with pumpkin pie spice if you wish.

BANANA-PUMPKIN BREAD WITH BROWN SUGAR ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix together wet ingredients for the bread.
• Separately, mix together dry ingredients for the bread and then stir into the wet ingredients, mixing until well combined.
• Grease bottoms and sides of 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and pour batter in.
• Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean; cool in pan 15 minutes then finish cooling on a wire rack.
• When bread has finished cooling, begin preparing icing by mixing together icing ingredients in a saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, and continue to cook and stir, until mixture reaches 236F on a candy thermometer or forms a soft ball when a drop is placed in cold water, about 5 minutes after cooking (very simple to do).
• Remove from heat and beat until mixture is nice and smooth and immediately spread on bread for an icing; DO NOT ALLOW TO COOL BEFORE SPREADING OR MIXTURE WILL HARDEN.
• Cool iced bread completely before slicing into serving pieces.

BROWNED BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) until browned and nutty fragranced. Watch carefully, stir occasionally and do not let burn. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
• Cube the other 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 stick) and place in a mixing bowl with softened cream cheese. Pour browned butter over top and allow to sit for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds. With an electric mixer, beat until the butter and cream cheese are smooth. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar until the proper consistency is reached. (To avoid lumps, shake/sift sugar through a sieve.) Add 1-3 tablespoon heavy cream, if needed, to thin to a spreading consistency.
• If the frosting is too soft for decorating, refrigerate for about half an hour before using.