Cranberry Pumpkin Cake

Cranberry Pumpkin Cake

Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 125.

Maida Heatter has several recipes that are good for the holidays and I have made several of them already. I plan to post a list of all of the holiday desserts I have made and will do that soon.

Here is another good one that is so easy. This is a dark and dense cake that is very moist (don't overbake it). Confession - I get so paranoid about overbaking cakes that I always start checking before the allowed time and sometimes take them out a little early. The cake will always continue to bake especially when left in the pan for a while. Of course, this depends on the type of cake but after you have done a lot of baking, your instinct will kick in. 

I used bagged cranberries that had not been frozen. The cranberries are tart and provide a kick when paired with the delicate and spicy flavors of the cake. The nuts and the berries do not sink.

I froze half of this cake and plan to take it to a meeting this weekend. 

6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) walnuts
12 oz. (2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
3 cups sifted unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 cups pumpkin
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (or canola, safflower, corn)
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10x4 1/4 inch tube pan with an 8 cup capacity (I used a Bundt pan for this). Dust with chocolate bread crumbs (bread crumbs with cocoa powder mixed in).

Place the walnuts in a large pan and bake for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool and break into small pieces.

If using fresh cranberries. wash and dry them.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. 

Beat the pumpkin, sugar and oil to mix. Add the eggs, one at a time, until mixed. Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add the sifted dry ingredients. Beat only until smooth and fold in the nuts and the cranberries.

Turn into pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes (if the cranberries are frozen, it may take longer). The cake is done when a tester comes out clean from the deepest part of the cake. 

Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 284.

I wanted a quick recipe for a meeting I was attending and I wanted to try out a new muffin pan. This cupcake recipe is from Maida Heatter's chocolate book. She notes that this is the recipe she usually uses when asked to bring something to a bake sale.

You can make these with cupcake liners like I did (the fastest method!) or you can grease the pans.

The recipe makes 24 cupcakes although I came up short. I probably added too much batter to each cup. The instructions say to fill them 2/3 full.

The cupcakes are dipped in a glossy icing which makes it easy. I do think that they might be more attractive if the icing was piped on. I suppose it depends on how much time you have!

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5 1/3 oz. (10 2/3 TBS) sweet butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour two cupcake pans or line them with liner papers.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa and set aside. 

Beat the butter until softened and gradually add the vanilla extract and sugar. 

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix well.

Alternately add the cocoa with...

the milk in three additions. Beat only until smooth. Do not overbeat.

The batter will be a little thick and grainy. 

Fill the cupcake forms with batter, filling about 2/3 full. 

You do not have to smooth the tops.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops spring back when pressed. Do not overbake. Cool completely before icing.

The icing should be at room temperature before using.

For faster cooling (as well as easier dipping), you can place it in a shallow bowl or plate. Dip each cooled cupcake into the icing. This can be done several times.