When the first hint of fall comes to the south in October I love buying a few small baking pumpkins at the farmers market and cooking them for pumpkin puree. It's so easy to make it yourself and takes no time at all. Bonus, save the seeds for roasted pumpkin seeds, a favorite fall treat!
Pumkin puree freezes great, so I store mine in 2 cups containers in the freezer. That way I have some readily available for all kinds of fall treats. Yes, you can absolutely make this cake using a 15 oz can of pumkin (plain and not pie filling) if you don't want to bother making your own.
Now let's talk about this cake y'all! It is so tender and moist ...plus it's chockful of good for you ingredients with the pumpkin, apples and raisins. And don't leave out the bourbon, brandy or spiced rum. You can use it in place of the vanilla extract in the cake plus it gives the frosting such a nice burst of flavor! Of course you can leave it out and substitute with a non-alcoholic flavoring if you want to.
What do you need to make Pumpkin Apple Cake?
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger
- Pumpkin Puree
- Vanilla
- Farm Fresh Eggs
- Vegetable or Canola Oil
- 1-2 Crunchy Apples
- Golden or Regular Raisins
- Pecans (or walnuts)
- Confectioner's Sugar
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Bourbon, Brandy or Spiced Rum
RECIPE
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (or one 15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin)
*1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cups fresh apple peeled and petite diced (1 honeycrisp apple yielded 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup golden raisins (or regular)
*Use 1 1/2 teaspooons bourbon, brandy or spiced rum instead
Nutmeg Frosting
1-8 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter or margarine softened
1-1 lb. box confectioners sugar
4 teaspoons bourbon, brandy or spiced rum (your choice)
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2-3/4 cup peans chopped to sprinkle over top
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin and mix well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and apples and continue mixing until well blended.
Fold in raisins and pour batter into a prepared 9 x 13 cake pan or two 9 x 9 cake pans. Bake 9 x 13 cake 45 to 50 minutes or 9 x 9 cake pan 35-40 minutes. Test for doneness by piercing the cake in several places with a toothpick. Cake is done if the toothpick comes out clean with no cake batter on it.
Nutmeg Frosting
Mix all ingredients with mixer until you get the spreading consistency you want. Spread on cooled cake and sprinkle top with chopped pecans. (Frosting covers 9 x 13 cake or two 9 x 9 cakes).
Cooks note - This cake freezes very well, so I almost always bake this cake in two 9 x 9 cake pans and wrap one up for the freezer (not frosted). Cake will keep well in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Recipe adapted slightly from The Southern Lady Cooks
You may also enjoy:
Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
Enjoy,
Mary
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