Halloween!
It’s on like Donkey Kong.
Or maybe just like Peter Pan.
No Tinkerbells were harmed in the making of this costume. At least that’s what M. and D. tell me.
The lil’ pardner on the left is my brother, P. I’m pretty sure that what I’m thinking here was “Why can’t I be the one wearing the cool leather chaps?”
Apparently I’m not the only one who’s jealous of P.’s costume.
B. took one look at that shiny, fringed leather and proclaimed himself the new sheriff in town.
Who am I to judge?
I think the power went to his head, though: A. and I have been respecting B.’s authoritay for 11 years now, but once he had a badge to flash, things got really ugly. I was five minutes late to breakfast and I received a fine, a citation, and an extremely stern talking-to. I haven’t paid a ticket that pricey since the Great Treat Shortage of 2009.
Now’s probably a good time to talk about some cake.
I’ve honestly always thought of bundt cakes as dry and kind of gross.
I decided to jazz things up a little:
1. Fresh, roasted pumpkin -insert jazz hands here-
2. Sweet, luscious applesauce -insert spirit fingers here-
3. And a melted, hot chocolate topping -you better be full-on doing the Robot by now-
The cool thing about this cake is not only how moist it comes out, but also how simple it is to prepare.
I literally threw this baby together (I have candy to purchase! And costumes to assemble!).
And you can do the same.
I also cheated and tempered my chocolate {gasp} in the microwave.
I know, I know.
But I was starting to get really excited about this cake!
Aren’t you?
I think you are.
Why else would you still be doing the Robot like that?
Alas, it’s time for me to giddyap.
The sheriff ’round these parts is giving me the stinkeye like I’ve never seen and I can’t afford another fine.
From A., Sheriff B. & Me: Happy Halloween!
Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Cake
For the cake:
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. white sugar, granulated
1 c. canola oil (any light oil, other than olive oil, can be substituted)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. pumpkin puree (I used fresh pumpkin here, but you can easily substitute canned pumpkin. If going the fresh route, please see below for instructions on preparing your pumpkin.)
cooking spray
For the glaze:
2- 3.1 ounce disks of Mexican chocolate (You should be able to find Mexican chocolate in the Hispanic section of any well-stocked grocery store. I prefer the Ibarra brand, but Abuelita is another good one. If you can’t find Mexican chocolate, you can simply use all semi-sweet chocolate. Just be prepared that the flavor and texture of the glaze will be quite different. Mexican chocolate is a blend of almond, cinnamon and chocolate so the flavor is complex and the chocolate itself is quite grainy. Simple semi-sweet chocolate will taste just like pure chocolate.)
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
Position a rack in the lower third of your oven with several rungs of space above it, and preheat the oven to 350°.
To prepare the pumpkin, first remove its stem (I purchased a small/medium sized pie pumpkin and had several cups of cooked pumpkin leftover for use in another recipe). Slice the pumpkin in half vertically and scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out from each open half. Place the halves, cut-side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover the tops with tin foil. Bake for approximately one hour, or until the flesh is tender and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, cream the sugar and oil together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and continue to mix. Beat in the flour, baking powder, salt and applesauce. Once the pumpkin has cooled enough to handle, scoop out one cup of the flesh (you may want to mash it just slightly with a fork) and mix the pumpkin into the cake batter. Beat just until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Grease a 12-cup capacity bundt pan liberally with cooking spray and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the baked cake to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding to a wire rack.
Once the cake is ready for finishing, chop the chocolate roughly and place the pieces into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until all of the chocolate is completely melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the cake and spread it slightly with a rubber scraper so that it runs down the sides of the cake. Serve immediately or store for several days in a sealed container.
YIELD: 10-12 servings
this looks super jazzed up and delish!
Great post. Always enjoy your recipes and commentary
It brightens my day.
Brilliant (as ever) – and a nice short list of ingredients for a numpkin like me! Hope you had a great Halloween
I just read this and the recipe you posted after this and I am getting ideas…thanks for the inspiration and the laughs. You crack me up.
Who are those cute little kids with the Peter Pan and sheriff outfits? And your pooch is too funny – a little forlorn and fierce with his six-gun all at the same time. Meagan – your recipes are fantastic; the stories and photos are even better! Thanks!
pumpkin and chocolate!! Woaa!! just heavens!
tq fr sharing the recipe and story scarletta!
First, the picture of you in your costume is too cute! This cake looks really good. I know I could never find Mexican chocolate here, but I have a list on Amazon about a mile long with all the food I want to order, so I think I’ll add that, as that glaze looks to die for! Great cake!
The cake looks like it has such a delicious crumb! I can’t see a bundt cake without thinking of “My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding.”
Me too! I almost photographed and served this cake with a potted flower in the center as a tribute.
I love a good bundt cake myself – much more so than a frosted cake. But I love a little drizzle of something sweet on the top. This one sounds like a keeper!
This cake looks amazing! I’m definitely doing the robot. And I love your photos. Too cute.
This year was the first time I made something with pumpkin. I made cupcakes that my kids didn’t want to eat because of the taste of the spicies (cinnamon, ginger, and so on). Then I saw this delicious cake, without all those wonderful tastes my kids don’t like…I have more pumpkin puree, so will try this, but I’m not going to tell my kids it’s done with pumpkin…give me some luck…
Luck! I’m thinking it might very well be a success: the pumpkin taste isn’t strong and the chocolate is über kid-friendly. Let me know how it’s received!
Meagan, your recipe was a success. I made it for the weekend and my daughter loved it, of course I told her the cake had pumpkin and apple souce after she finished. As you suggest, the addition of chocolate (I made ganache) was the key.
Thanks so much…!!!
I’m so thrilled to hear this, Nydia – I was hoping your daughter would like it! You’re so very welcome!!
That has to be one of the most delicious looking bundt cakes I’ve ever seen!
So cute but the recipe is so cruel. It’s just too good to resist.
Love the post and love the cake too!
Loved the post and that cake sounds amazing! I was just making chocolate pumpkin muffins myself – it is such a good combination
OMG I love the picture of the doggie. Too cute and as if that wasnt awesome enough- I love this cake too.
Cake sounds good. Love the photos.
Your doggie sheriff is SO cute! I just want to scratch him behind the ears, sit on the floor and feed him doggie treats…can I? Please?!
….when he is full up on doggie treats – I believe I’ll have a slice or two (or three or four) of your amazing cake!
Happy Halloween!
Of course you can, Ann! Just be forewarned: he seems to be the only one who doesn’t know that he’s on a diet.
the cake looks awesome, but I’m not sure it beats the dog!
Not only would I love to have some cake and the bowl of frosting but may I please have the doggie as well. So adorable in that costume!
Looks so good! I need a slice of it right now!!!
Beautiful cake and great photos!!! Your dog is adorable
I have seen a lot of pumpkin and chocolate today…it’s not something I would normally put together but I have to trust that all of these cooking minds can’t be wrong…so I’m game. I’ve got pumpkin and I’ve got chocolate and I’m determine to bind the two together!
This cake looks so moist and delicious! The addition of applesauce is unique and I love the chocolate icing. Thanks for sharing! Happy Halloween!
What a great idea for a cake. I love the hot chocolate twist.
The dog is adorable!
I love reading your posts, you are so funny! I totally did jazz hands and the robot and then laughed out loud…hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t read your posts at work anymore.
Love this recipe too. Wow, pumpkin, chocolate, cake…sounds divine! Thanks for another great recipe.
WOW – this looks great! Well done!
ooo! this cake sounds AND looks fantastic!!!
I am roboting away, while subtly stuffing my face. Wow, this looks amazing. Mmmm.
Que delicioso se ve el pastel! You make me want to quit my international relations studies and become a baker .. thanks again for all your recipes!
This looks just perfect!
The cake sounds so good! Chocolate and pumpkin, mmmm delicious!
Love the photo!
H_A_P_P_Y H_A_L_L_O_W_E_E_N —– wouldn’t have wanted to try this if I hadn’t seen a picture–I’ve been looking for something to bake besides pumpkin pie–I think I’ve found it. Going to try this out soon but think I’ll use a can of pumpkin…… I do enjoy your blogs!
I’ve got to have this soon. For one thing, I love how pale and fluffy the cake looks, most pumpkin cakes are pretty dense and spicy. Beautiful job, and I’m glad the Sheriff is keeping you in line!
Mmmm love this! It sounds so freaking tasty.