Carla Halls Pumpkin Chocolate Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A PUMPKIN

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut off the top one-quarter of the pumpkin; reserve. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and scrape the inside clean. Place the pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Combine the butter, brown sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat; whisk in the eggs, vanilla and scotch until smooth, then whisk in the flour mixture until combined.
• Pour the batter into the pumpkin, filling it about three-quarters of the way. Add the pumpkin top to the baking sheet, if desired (don't put it on top of the pumpkin). Bake until the cake is browned and rises slightly out of the opening of the pumpkin, about 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 300˚ F and continue baking until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 more minutes. Let cool 3 to 4 hours before slicing.
• Meanwhile, make the butterscotch sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until melted and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin pie spice, salt, vanilla and scotch. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly.
• Slice the cake into wedges, cutting through the pumpkin. Serve with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with the butterscotch sauce.

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CUPS WITH PUMPKIN-CREAM CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• For the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray two 12-cup mini muffin pans with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the shortening and use your fingertips to pinch it completely into the flour mixture.
• Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour. Toss until all the pieces are coated. Pinch and drop the butter pieces in the flour until the butter pieces are flattened and incorporated. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
• Lightly coat your work surface with nonstick cooking spray, then flour. (The spray keeps the flour in place.) Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture. Gently mix the dough with a rubber spatula until there are no dry bits of flour left. The dough should be slightly sticky.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared work surface. Lightly coat your hands with flour and gently press the dough with the heels of your hands to form it into a smooth flat rectangle, 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with flour, then fold it into thirds (like a letter). Press the dough out again, sprinkle with a little flour and fold it into thirds again, this time folding in the open ends first. Repeat one more time. The dough should no longer be sticky.
• Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Then cut twenty-four 2 1/2-inch circles out of the dough. Press a circle into each mini muffin cup. Refrigerate until cold, about 15 minutes.
• For the pumpkin cream cheese filling: Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add the egg, then beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
• Pour the filling into the biscuit-lined cups. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake until the tops are set and the biscuits are golden brown and crisp, about 16 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

YELLOW SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.
• Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, the sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until well mixed. Add the oil and beat until evenly distributed. With the machine running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until fully incorporated. The mixture will look like coarse sand.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl occasionally. While beating, add the buttermilk mixture in a slow, steady stream. Beat just until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
• Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Pour as much caramel as desired over the cake.
• Set the butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. When it's halfway melted, add the sugar and salt. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is dark golden brown. It will look grainy and the fat will separate from the sugar and then come back together.
• Remove from the heat and add the evaporated milk while whisking. Be careful! The caramel will bubble up. Scrape up any sugar that's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Set over low heat and cook, whisking often, until very smooth and creamy, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

CARLA HALL'S PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• steps ingredients per step instructions. 2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 large eggs For the Pumpkin Cake: Grease and flour two 9-inch round layer cake pans. 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups pumpkin puree Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 4 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice 2 cups mascarpone 1 cup pumpkin puree (strained of excess liquid) 2 teaspoons salt Combine sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir the dry into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the pumpkin puree. Divide batter between the two cake pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate pans half way through cooking. When a toothpick comes out clean, the cakes are done. Let cool for 5 minutes and then turn cakes out onto cooling racks. For the Mascarpone Filling: While the cakes are cooking make the filling. 3 tablespoons corn syrup 6 ounces heavy cream 12 ounces dark chocolate (chopped into small bits) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Beat the mascarpone and the pumpkin puree until blended, and then add the pumpkin spice, salt and powdered sugar. Mix at a high speed until blended, about 1 minute. Once it's fully combined add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds. Once the cakes have cooled completely, cut through each cake horizontally with a serrated knife (there will now be four round of cake to work with). ginger snaps (crushed for garnish) Spread the filling evenly between the layers (3). Once assembled, transfer cake to a cake stand with parchment paper lined around the edges (to keep the cake stand clean). For the Dark Chocolate Ganache: Make the ganache in a small saucepan. Combine the corn syrup and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Pour over the cake. Garnish with crushed ginger snaps.Once the ganache is set, remove the parchment.