Tag: nutmeg

Spiced Applesauce Pound Cake

applesauce-cake

I have always been more of a pound cake baker than a layer cake baker.  I’m not sure exactly why.  Maybe it’s because they are just so darn easy and they tend to get better with time.  My favorite pound cake recipes seem to get moister the longer they sit.

Here’s a wonderfully moist cake that I love making this time of the year.  I prefer to use my homemade applesauce but any applesauce will work.  It is not only delicious but it is lovely when sprinkled with powdered sugar and would be beautiful on a holiday dessert table!

Spiced Applesauce Pound Cake
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2¾ c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 c. light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 c. no-sugar applesauce
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan well and place it on a large baking pan, set aside.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix.
  4. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Place the baking pan/bundt pan onto middle rack in preheated oven. Bake 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
  5. Cool completely before inverting on a cake plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

 

Pumpkin Spice Scones

pumpkin scones 008

Pumpkin spice and apple flavors have made their fall appearance again. You would think it’s too warm to start craving these flavors, but it’s just not so!  

Last week my mother and I made a trip to Ellijay for apples. It’s a quick drive from her house, and she is always up for a road trip. Unfortunately, there were not many varieties ready. This just means that another trip is in the near future. We were able to pick up a few Honeycrisp apples, but it was the fried apple pies that made the drive well worth it!

If you are a fall spice lover, you will enjoy these delicious pumpkin scones. They have the perfect balance of sweetness, pumpkin, and spice. They are delicious for breakfast with a cup of coffee or as an afternoon snack. 

Scones are always best the day they are baked, so surprise a neighbor or coworker with a few of these tasty treats. They will be a million times better than anything you’ll find at the coffee shop and cheaper too!

Pumpkin Scones
 
Author:
Print
 
Ingredients
  • Scones:
  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ c. packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp. ground cloves
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, frozen, and grated with a cheese grater
  • ½ c. pumpkin puree
  • ½ c. whipping cream
  • 1 lg. egg
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Glaze:
  • 1 c. confectioners' sugar
  • ¼ c. whipping cream
  • Spiced Glaze:
  • 1 c. confectioners' sugar
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp. ground ginger
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp. whipping cream
Instructions
  1. For the scones:
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  4. Place the butter in the freezer for about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from freezer and shred, using a cheese grater. Return the shredded butter to the freezer until you are ready to use.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, whipping cream, egg, and vanilla.
  7. Add the frozen shredded butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers to coat with flour.
  8. Stir in the pumpkin mixture just to combine. Transfer dough to a well-floured board and dust top with additional flour. Working quickly, knead the dough a few times. Flatten, using your fingers, and roughly shape into a 9-inch x 4-inch rectangle.
  9. Cut crosswise in the middle, then again in the middle of each piece. Cut each piece diagonally into two triangles. Place on prepared pan.
  10. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.
  11. In the meantime mix up the glaze mixtures. Brush the first "plain" glaze onto each scone using a pastry brush. Cool for a few minutes.
  12. Spoon spiced glaze into a ziptop bag. Snip off a small section of the corner of the bag. Pipe the spiced glaze on top of the glazed scones.
  13. Allow glaze to air dry at room temperature then serve.