Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Pumpkin, Spice, It's Oh So Nice!

I just love the Fall and all the yummy and smelly-good things that go along with it! I am a big fan of all of the pumpkin-flavored things that come out this time of year: pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin spice chai, pumpkin bread, and have you ever tried Pecan Pumpkin Butter from Williams Sonoma? That stuff is incredible.

I have tried making pumpkin soup.

Night.mare.

I'll have to share that story another time. But, all I am seeing are visions of orange mush. Spilled all over my mother's minivan. It was tragic.

However, here is a delicious and simple recipe I tried last night involving pumpkin that is fool-proof, easy, delicious, and low in fat. It's also gluten-free! (I don't really know what that means, but it seems to be a new trend, so since it is gluten-free, I though I'd mention it for those who are into that.) Just kidding, I do know what gluten-free means, and food allergies are no joke.

All joking aside, my friend Carrie posted this recipe on her blog. Her one-year-old has recently been diagnosed with some food allergies, so Carrie is having to adjust to life with some new food regulations. Her daughter, Kendall, can't have wheat or eggs, so gluten-free is a must for now!

I made this pumpkin-spice cake yesterday, and it is delicious! Try it sometime. Seriously, it couldn't be simpler.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin
1/2 can of water

Directions:

Combine all three ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Pour into your favorite cake pan. (I used a bundt!) Bake cake according to the directions on the box, let cool, and serve. For a beautiful display, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

This cake is so good, so moist, and just perfect for Fall. It's a great breakfast or dessert or mid-day snack! Oh, I love pumpkin!

P.S. Have I mentioned that when I was growing up, my family got on a kick where we named all of our pets after food? My first dog, a Sheltie, was named Pumpkin. It's true.

3 comments:

carey said...

Glad you liked it! It's addictive! Give a high-five to my mom, too, since she gave me the recipe. And another friend of mine said it works with chocolate cake mix as well, and she makes them into cupcakes for her three children. I'm going to try it soon.

And Kendall is actually allergic to eggs and milk, not wheat, so I don't know if the recipe is actually gluten-free or not. Doesn't gluten have something to do with wheat? I'm not really sure either. But anyway, allergies or not, this recipe is much healthier than the traditional cake recipe so it's good for dieters as well, or anybody who just likes it!

Nana said...

Casey,

The original recipe was for the chocolate cake and it was said that you can't even taste the pumpkin. Since I LOVE pumpkin I thought that was a waste of a good can of the stuff, so I changed the recipe to spice cake. WW also says to mix a brownie mix with a can of pureed black beans. Not too sure about that one! The idea is to increase the fiber in the mix. Let me know if you try it. :)

Miss ya,
Mrs. Kay

carey said...

That sounds like the recipe book by Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry's wife). She makes kid-friendly recipes with hidden vegetables. She puts pureed veggies in everything, choosing one that color matches the foods. I've made some of them and they really are good. I cut a corner, though. Instead of pureeing vegetables, I just bought a can of baby food. I dumped carrots in taco meat, and Gabe thought it was delicious! Anyway, if you're interested the book is called "Deceptively Delicious". I highly recommend it if you're wanting to add en extra punch of healthiness into your kids' (and your own) diet.