I recently heard someone say, “Thanksgiving is not about perfection.” I think that is such an important thing to keep in mind while you are knocking yourself out in the kitchen. Whether you will be hosting your first Thanksgiving or are looking for a dessert to bring to dinner and I’ve got the perfect pumpkin cake recipe to share with you today.
This Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Veganomicon. It is simple, delicious and I think it’s a great substitute for pumpkin pie if you don’t bake that much or are simply intimidated by the idea of making your own pie crust (like moi for example!). It is a vegan recipe so practiced bakers may likely have all the ingredients on hand to whip this together…especially if your pantry is already stocked up for the holidays.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl mix together the peacan streusel: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I’ve used whole wheat and it’s good, too.), 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar or granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground allspice, 1 Tbl. vegetable oil (I use safflower or sunflower oil) and 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans. Mix with your fingers or a fork until crumbs form. Set this aside to top the cake.
In a large mixing bowl combine: 1 can (15-ounce) pureed pumpkin (NOT pie mix), 3/4 cups soy milk (or regular milk if you’re not going vegan), 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 3 Tablespoons light molasses (As a Vermonter I use pure maple syrup instead!), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix well with a fork.
Then, add and gently mix by hand: 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (add about half of the flour at a time as you mix it in), 1 Tbl. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg, 3/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground allspice, 1/8 tsp. ground cloves. (I find that cinnamon and nutmeg alone will work nicely if you don’t have the other spices on hand.) Be sure not to over-mix the pumpkin batter or it may get gummy.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan and spread it out with a spatula. Scatter the streusel on top as evenly as possible. Bake for about 45 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool and cut into squares to serve.
I made this last Thanksgiving for my family and both my grandmother and my mother asked me for the recipe. I’m happy they enjoyed it and I hope you will, too.
Do you have any recipes or wonderful wife tips you want to share?
