Pumpkin Loaf with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Today was Canadian Thanksgiving.  Although it's too late to make it as a finish for your (Canadian) turkey dinner, it is still pumpkin season and after all, Hallowe'en is around the corner so you can certainly make it for that! If you happen to be American, well consider this as an ample heads up to make for your festive celebration!

Don't be daunted by the ingredients in the picture.  I do that for presentation purposes. As you measure things out, simply dump into the appropriate bowl. You can wait to make the frosting when the cake is completely cooled.  

I had a large can of pumpkin which, after I measured out what I needed for my cake, had 1 1/2 cups leftover. Stay tuned for my coconut pumpkin soup recipe which I will make with the remaining amount in the next day or so. (Soup recipe here)

I made this last night to take to my sister's for Thanksgiving dinner today.  It was a hit! What's not to love?  Dense layers of sweet pumpkin alternating with a thick layer of maple flavoured cream cheese frosting. Oh, yes!

Here's what you'll need:

                  Loaf:
                      In large bowl:
                           2 C pumpkin puree (I used canned, unsweetened)
                           1 egg
                           1/3 C veg oil
                           1/4 C water
                           1 C sugar
                      In small bowl:
                           1 1/4 C flour
                           1 t baking soda
                           1/2 t salt
                           1/4 t EACH ground cinnamon 
                           and ground nutmeg
                           1/8 t EACH ground cloves and ground ginger
                           Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

                     Icing:
                          2 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
                          1/2 C butter, softened
                          1/4 C maple syrup
                          1/4 C brown sugar (not shown - an afterthought!)
                          1 t vanilla extract.

Place ingredients in large bowl as above.

Place ingredients in smaller bowl as above.

Mix large bowl ingredients.

It should look like this.  Orange or what?!

Mix small bowl ingredients.

It should look like this.

Now pour the flour mixture into the pumpkin blend.

Combine completely until you get this.

Spray a standard loaf pan with non-stick spray.

Pour pumpkin batter into pan.

Make sure you level off and push into four corners.

Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes until 

centre comes out clean with a toothpick.

This is what it looks like out of the oven.

It will fall.  This is a low cake.
Let cool completely before icing.

Icing Prep:

Place everything on the icing list into a mixing bowl.

You don't see the brown sugar here.

I added it later after a taste test - needed more sweetness!

With hand or stand mixer, mix until completely blended.

How to ice/assemble your cake:

Here is the cooled cake.

Note how I luckily have some natural notches as guidelines!

I'm going to cut it into 3 pieces horizontally.

With a long serrated knife, using a sawing motion, 

cut across the top third of your cake.

The right tool for the right job makes all the difference!

Here is the top piece off!

Now do it again!

Here you have roughly 3 equal pieces.

 

 On the bottom piece, spread about 1/3rd of the frosting.

Put it on your serving dish first!  

I didn't and had to lift it onto the plate later - dumb!

 Put the middle layer on top...

Add another 1/3rd of the frosting.

I use an offset spatula for spreading.

 

Gently put the top layer on.

Spread on remaining frosting.

The frosting recipe makes a lot.  You may want to use less.

If you have leftover, use to top some banana muffins - yum!  

Now pop it in the fridge to set.

When you cut it, use a serrated knife.

Wipe after each cut if needed.

Pre-cut from fridge and place onto serving plates.

Let it warm up a bit to room temp.

And here is what it looks like cut.

It's what we got to enjoy for dessert today.

Dense pumpkin cake,

thickly layered with maple cream cheese frosting.

Sooooo divine!

You and your guests will gobble it right up!