Pumpkin Flan Cake

Pumpkin Flan Cake 
Adapted from: My Baking Addiction and Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Pumpkin Cake
1/2 cup caramel sauce or topping (store bought or homemade)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup pumpkin puree

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan, taking care to get in all the nooks and crannies. Pour the caramel sauce into the bottom of the pan (the caramel sauce, if store-bought and thick, may need a quick warm-up in the microwave to be pourable).

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

Pour the batter in the pan evenly over the caramel.

Flan
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk (when split: 1 can)*
2 1/2 cups whole milk (when split: 1 1/4 cups)
6 ounces cream cheese (when split: 3 ounces)
6 large eggs (when split: 3 whole eggs)
4 large egg yolks (when split: 2 egg yolks)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract (when split: 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions
*The original recipe says to add all the flan ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. I have a standard size (even a tad bit on the large size) blender and I have to process it in two batches because its too much. So split the above recipe in half, process in the blender, and then repeat.  

Slowly and carefully pour the flan mixture over the the cake batter. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and carefully pour warm water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the bundt pan. Bake the cake about 75 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean in both the pumpkin cake and the flan, or until the flan registers 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. If the cream part of the flan is still not set up (does not come out clean on the toothpick), continue cooking, may take up to 90 minutes. 

Remove the Bundt pan from the roasting pan (the easiest way for cleanup is to leave the roasting pan and water in the oven until it has cooled) and place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate for 8 hours.

To remove the cake from the pan, fill a large bowl with hot water and place the bottom third of the Bundt pan in the water for 1 minute. Carefully invert the cake onto a flat plate or cake platter - I do this by putting the cake platter or plate over the Bundt pan opening and then, holding onto the edges of both platter and cake pan, I gently turn the pan upside down while flipping the cake platter. Slowly remove the pan letting the caramel drizzle over the top of the cake. Serve chilled.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from: Sweetopia

Cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger, into a medium bowl.
In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Divide the batter among the muffin tin and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely. 

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp clear vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions
Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a medium sized bowl with the mixer on high speed.  Add the sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.  With the mixer running, gradually add the maple syrup and beat until the frosting looks whipped and creamy.

Mini Smores Dark Chocolate Cheesecakes

Mini Smores Dark Chocolate Cheesecakes

Adapted from: Life Love and Sugar
Yield: 4 mini cheesecakes

Crust

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

6 tbsp butter, melted

Directions

In a small bowl, combine ingredients and mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of four 4.75 inch springform pans. Set aside.

Crust

24 ounces packages of cream cheese, softened (three 8 ounce packages)

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

3/4 cup cocoa (I use Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)

4 eggs, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot fudge topping, warm, for topping

35-40 large marshmallows (for topping)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar, flour and cocoa with an electric mixer until combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until well combined. Divide the cheesecake filling into the pans.

Bake for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 20 minutes. Open oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for another 30 minutes. Chill in refrigerator.

Once completely chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees on convection bake. Remove springform pan sides from cheesecakes and place cheesecake on a cookie sheet. Top cheesecake with a layer of marshmallows. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to brown. If you have a kitchen blow torch, you can finish by browning the marshmallows.

Remove cheesecake from oven and drizzle with hot fudge and graham cracker crumbs. Cheesecake can be served warm out of the oven (which I recommend), or refrigerated and served cold.

Smores Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Smores Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Adapted from: Life Love and Sugar

Crust

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

5 tbsp butter, melted

Directions

In a small bowl, combine ingredients and mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Crust

24 ounces packages of cream cheese, softened (three 8 ounce packages)

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

3/4 cup cocoa (I use Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)

4 eggs, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot fudge topping, warm, for topping

35-40 large marshmallows (for topping)

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar, flour and cocoa with an electric mixer until combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until well combined. Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 35 minutes. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 20 minutes. Open oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for another 30 minutes. Chill in refrigerator.

Once completely chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees on convection bake. Remove springform pan sides from cheesecake and place cheesecake on a cookie sheet. Top cheesecake with a layer of marshmallows. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to brown. If you have a kitchen blow torch, you can finish by browning the marshmallows.

Remove cheesecake from oven and drizzle with hot fudge and graham cracker crumbs. Cheesecake can be served warm out of the oven (which I recommend), or refrigerated and served cold.