Pumpkin Caramel Skillet Cake With Maple Glaze Food

PUMPKIN FLAN WITH MAPLE CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the caramel, combine the sugar, maple syrup, and 1/3 cup water in a small, deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil, swirling the pan (don't stir!) to dissolve the sugar. Cook at a low boil without stirring for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture turns a golden brown and registers 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn! Off the heat, swirl in the fleur de sel, and immediately pour into an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan (not a springform!). Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin, and mascarpone in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, maple extract, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently pour the pumpkin mixture into the pan with the caramel so they don't combine.
• Place the pan in a roasting pan large enough to hold the cake pan flat and fill the roasting pan with enough of the hottest tap water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 70 to 75 minutes, until the custard is just set. It will be firm but still jiggle slightly in the middle; a knife inserted into the center of the flan will come out clean. Remove the flan from the water bath, place on a cooling rack, and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Don't tilt the pan or the caramel will run out!
• Run a small knife around the edge of the flan. Turn a flat serving plate with a slight lip over the cake pan and flip them, turning the flan out onto the plate. The caramel should run out over the flan. Cut into wedges and serve with the caramel spooned over each slice.

CARAMELS

Steps:

• Combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, cream, condensed milk, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the mixture reaches 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Take from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into a 6-inch square baking pan lined with parchment and allow to cool and set about 3 hours.
• Take the caramel from the pan and, using a very sharp knife gently sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cut the caramels into squares and wrap in wax paper or candy wrappers (see Cook's Note). Store in a cool dry place.

NAKED PUMPKIN CAKE WITH CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• Place the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
• Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
• Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely on the wire rack, about 1 hour.
• For the cinnamon buttercream: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer on a slow speed, carefully add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time until combined, followed by the vanilla and cinnamon. Add the heavy cream a little at a time. (If you need a thicker frosting, add more confectioners' sugar; if you need a thinner consistency, add in more heavy cream.)
• Place a cooled cake layer on a cake stand. (This recipe should yield very level cake layers, but if your layers are domed, level them before assembling.) Cover with about 1/2 cup buttercream. Scatter 1/3 cup of chopped pecan over the top.
• Repeat with the next layer of cake, covering with 1/2 cup buttercream and 1/3 cup chopped pecans. Place the final layer of cake on top.
• Place the remaining buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip (such as #362). Pipe out a design on the top of the cake (the sides will be left "naked").
• Sprinkle the remaining pecans over the top, then drizzle the cake with caramel sauce. Serve immediately.

PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE WITH MAPLE BROWN-BUTTER GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and flour a 12-cup (or larger) capacity bundt pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and black pepper until well combined.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine brown sugar, butter and olive oil. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 20 seconds in between each egg. Add the pumpkin purée and sour cream, and mix until well combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients until well combined. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure an evenly mixed batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and firmly tap the pan on the countertop a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake the cake until golden and puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes.
• Set the cake, still in its pan, on a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then use the tip of a knife to loosen the edges and invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely before glazing.
• Make the glaze: Once the cake is cool, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter, occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty. Don't walk away from the pan during this process. The butter can go from brown and nutty to acrid and burnt in mere moments.
• Transfer butter and all the brown bits from the pan to a heat-safe bowl, and let it cool slightly. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and salt until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. If it's too thin, add a bit more confectioners' sugar. If it's too thick, add a few drops of water.
• Transfer the cake to a serving platter and pour the glaze evenly over the top. Sprinkle with pepitas if desired. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing.

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE WITH MAPLE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan., Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Whisk confectioners' sugar, milk, syrup and maple flavoring until smooth. Drizzle over cake and sprinkle with pecans.

PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE WITH CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Flour the pans and paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, butter, spices and salt. Beat on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 20 seconds between each egg. Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée and mix until well combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. The mixture will look curdled.
• Set mixer to low, and add the dry ingredients all at once, stirring until a few spots of flour remain. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a rubber spatula to finish folding the dry ingredients into the batter. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans (about 3 cups per pan), smooth the tops, and tap the pans on a countertop to release any large air bubbles. Bake the cakes until golden and puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then use the tip of a knife to loosen the edges and carefully invert them onto the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Swirl the pan occasionally until the sugar dissolves, but do not stir. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally to help the mixture brown evenly, until it is deep amber in color. At this point, don't walk away from the pot: The caramel will go from amber to burned in mere moments.
• Remove the pan from the heat, and carefully whisk in butter and heavy cream. The mixture will expand and sputter before turning into a smooth sauce. Add the whiskey and salt. Carefully pour the caramel into a heat-safe container and cool to room temperature. You will have about 1 1/2 cups.
• Make the buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Use the whisk attachment of the stand mixer to beat the egg white mixture until stiff, glossy peaks form and the mixture and bowl are cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment and reduce speed to medium. With the mixer running, add the butter a couple of tablespoons at a time and beat the buttercream until smooth and fluffy. During this step, the buttercream will likely break and look curdled; turn up the speed on the mixer for a few seconds, and it will come back together. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated then add the salt. Slowly add 1/2 cup cooled caramel sauce, and stir until well combined. If the buttercream is extremely soft or runny, put the bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, then whip until smooth.
• Assemble the cake: If necessary, use a serrated knife to trim the cooled cake layers so they are flat and even. Add a small spoonful of buttercream onto a cardboard cake round or serving plate, and place the first layer of cake, cut side up, on top.
• Spread about 3/4 cup buttercream on top of the cake. Drizzle the buttercream with 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce. Be careful not to drizzle the caramel all of the way to the edge so it doesn't spill out the sides.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat with buttercream and caramel. Place the final layer on top, cut side down, and spread the top and sides of the cake with a thin, even layer of buttercream. Refrigerate the cake until the buttercream is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Spread the remaining buttercream in an even layer over the cake. If you'd like to add a caramel drizzle, refrigerate the fully frosted cake until firm then carefully spread about 1/3 cup of room temperature caramel sauce over the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to gently ease it towards the edges so it drips down the sides. Serve at room temperature. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature before serving. Leftover caramel sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

PUMPKIN NUT CAKE WITH MAPLE GLAZE

Steps:

• Cake:
• Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in bowl and toss with fork to blend thoroughly. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat olive oil with eggs, pumpkin pie mix and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Gradually beat in dry ingredients. Fold in chopped walnuts. Transfer to oiled fluted tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on rack for 15 minutes then turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.
• Glaze:
• In small bowl, mix sugar, 4 tsps. remaining milk and maple flavoring. Stir until smooth. Add more milk, 1/2 tsp. at a time, if needed. Glaze should have a thick consistency. Drop spoonfuls of glaze evenly around the top of the cake. Set aside to allow glaze to drip down the sides of the cake. When glaze has set, garnish with walnut halves.

WHITE CHOCOLATE RIBBON PUMPKIN CAKE WITH MAPLE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a large bundt pan. To prepare filling, place white chips in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until chips are melted. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into melted chips. Set aside.
• In medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time then continue beating for one minute until mixture is light. Stir in pumpkin. By hand or on low speed, stir in flour mixture.
• Pour 1/3 of cake mixture into bundt pan. Pour filling over that, keeping filling away from the sides of the pan. Pour remaining batter over the filling. Bake 55 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. Let cake cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cake should cool completely before glazing.
• To prepare glaze, stir together powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple extract and 2 tablespoons of cream and salt. Beat until smooth. If glaze is too thick, use remaining tablespoon of cream. Drizzle over cooled cake. Store cake in refridgerator.