Hidden Blessings

Hey Ya'll,
So I don't know about you guys, but this last week was absolutely crazy! There were a ton of downs with a couple of ups and plenty of loop de loops (and not the good kind where you're buckled into a roller coaster seat, but the kind where your parachute doesn't open after you jump out of the plane.)

But despite all the craziness, I have actually gotten to experience beautiful sunny days (albeit a tad warmer than I would appreciate at this time of year) and wonderfully chilly nights and mornings. Dare I say that it's starting to feel like fall?!?!?!?!?! (I mean still summer, of course)

How could I ask for a more perfect week to try out the first pumpkin recipe?

PUMPKIN POUND CAKE

I grew up in a family where you made a pound cake for every occasion. Birthdays, new neighbors, sympathy, and Tuesdays. I'm not really sure why exactly it's called a pound cake (I think it's something to do with the fact that the old recipes call for a pound of flour/butter/sugar), but I do know they are dense and buttery and so great when served with ice cream. But now that it's fall, it's acceptable to add pumpkin to everything right?

So Pumpkin Pound Cake, I found the recipe here.

First things first: gather the ingredients!

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour your tube or bundt pan. I used a bundt pan so that the top was a little prettier and I used Baker's Joy instead of grease. I like the spray because its more convenient and far less messy, but I really like to use this brand that has some flour in it for baking.

 

 

The next thing you want to do is drain the pumpkin. Pumpkin has an extremely high water content and although this makes it add tons of moisture to anything you're making it can also throw off textures and consistencies when baking. I lined a bowl with a double layer of paper towels, put in the pumpkin, and then topped it with some more paper towels. I let it sit while I mixed together the dry and wet ingredients; patting it down occasionally to ensure maximum drainage.

 

 

 

So, while you wait for that to drain: cream the butter and sugars together.

 

**SCIENCE BREAK**

Creaming is a really important process in some baking recipes because the sugar crystals cut into the fat molecules in the butter or lard or whatever the recipe calls for creating air bubbles. These air bubbles in turn assist the product in rising during the baking process as the air is released through the surface of the cake.

 

Okay, back to the cooking... cream the butter and sugars together. It should look "light and fluffy" when you're done.

 







     

 

 

Add the eggs one at a time. This will smooth out the mixture.

 



 

 

Then add the drained pumpkin and vanilla, and mix until well incorporated. It should get really fluffy during this step! It will also look a little grainy, but never fear, this is normal :)

 

 

 

Now, round up all of your dry ingredients. I like to sift my flour, which isn't called for in the recipe, but I find it cuts down on any over mixing of the batter because it takes out all those icky clumps.

 

 

 

You're going to add this into the pumpkin mixture, alternating with your buttermilk.

 

Now, BUTTERMILK. I don't tend to buy buttermilk, because I only use it when a random recipe calls for it or if I'm making my Ninny's biscuits (which is my grandmother for those of you not lucky enough to have met this amazing woman). It's all over Pinterest that you can simply freeze the leftover buttermilk in ice cube trays and melt as needed, but my mom found this little gem!

 

 

This is essentially powdered buttermilk. Add a couple of tablespoons and then dissolve in water (exact measurements depend on how much the recipe calls for). It has a super long shelf life and for some reason I have more pantry space than I have freezer space so this was a great solution for me!

 

 

Okay, back to the recipe: Alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk until the mixture is thick, fluffy and all incorporated.

 

   

 

 

Now, pour it into your greased pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick draws out clean.

I forgot to take a picture of it pre-baking (sorry) BUT here's the final product. Transfer this to a wire rack to cool completely and mix up the glaze.

 

 

 

Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly as you don't want the mixture to scald, bring it to a boil and cook for one minute until thickened. Drizzle this over your cake and ENJOY!!!

 

 

 

We used it to celebrate Gigi's birthday and it was a huge hit, even with Little Man!

 

 

REVIEW: This recipe was really easy to follow and didn't call for any weird ingredients or equipment. The only ingredients I didn't have readily on hand was the pumpkin and the buttermilk (buttermilk is a turn off for some people because I know we don't use it a lot in our daily lives, but I think the powdered alternative is great to make it more readily available in your pantry and to decrease having to avoid certain recipes because it calls for it). It does require quite a lot of baking time (almost an hour) including the prep and making the glaze afterwards, but it's pretty comparable to normal cake baking. The cake was moist, but not spongy like some pumpkin recipes can be (I think draining the pumpkin really helped with this). It's not a "skinny" recipe, but for a pound cake that used to require a pound each of flour, sugar and butter, it really isn't that unhealthy of a cake.

Overall, I give it a 38/50 and I definitely recommend adding this twist on the original pound cake to your recipe box! Here's my Recipe Scorecard for the Pumpkin Pound Cake





Also, you can print the recipe here.




So, crazy week followed by a great pound cake and celebrations with family. What a great reminder that my God is faithful and with every trial comes endless examples of His love.

I hope y'all are able to find some of His love amidst your craziness this week too!

<3 ME







 

 

 

Still Summer

I have lived in the South for most of my life and we have a big joke that our four seasons are different than everyone else's. Instead of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, the South experiences: Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer and Christmas. You laugh, but come stay with us for a year and you will see that it is sadly true. I'm sure there is a very scientific reason that the South doesn't have such large fluctuations in climate and temperature throughout the year. Something to do with air pressure and distance from the dark side of the moon and the direction the wind blows when the cicadas are chirping on the North side of the pine trees.

Regardless of the temperature, we are quickly approaching that fateful time of year we endearingly refer to as Still Summer (otherwise known as Fall to the real world) Where the leaves change, the air gets crisp, people pick apples and carve pumpkins, the football craze sets in, and most importantly we get to eat AMAZING food!

I don't know what it is about food in the fall. Is it because it's hot and comforting? Is it because it's consumed during the stressful moments of watching your favorite teams collide on the field of battle? Is it because it's eaten at a table where you're surrounded by people you love?
Whatever the reason is, we can all agree that it's delicious!

But, during a season with so much tradition, I often find it hard to stray from my tried and true recipes. Which is disappointing because Pinterest is just BURSTING with fall delicacies that are screaming to be devoured in one sitting. (I'm not the only one that thinks that, right?) So, I thought I would bear the devastating burden of trying out a few recipes and reviewing them for y'all. (I know, I live a hard life, I really do and you should all take pity on me!)

I'm going to start off with PUMPKIN flavored goodies and give you a few ideas of something that might be worth putting aside that recipe you always use for one with an orange-y twist. We'll do 4 familiar recipes with a pumpkin-spin, so stay tuned it's gonna get good.

I can't wait to share this with you guys, I'm pretty sure it'll be an entertaining journey at the very least!

<3 ME