Dessert: Lidey's Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Salted Pumpkin Seeds

Recipe by Lidey Heuck This cake is the ultimate pumpkin spice dessert.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health and fertility benefits of Lidey's Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Salted Pumpkin Seeds

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 15-oz. can pumpkin, not pie filling
1/4 c. whole milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 c. brown sugar, lightly packed
1 c. vegetable oil
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Instructions

Make Pumpkin Spice Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of 2 (9-by 2-inch) round cake pans with butter or non-stick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and grease and flour the pans.
In medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. In separate bowl, combine pumpkin, milk and vanilla extract.
In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or, using hand mixer) beat sugar, oil, and eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. With mixer on low speed, alternately add dry ingredients and pumpkin mixture to batter in three parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cake springs back lightly when pressed and cake tester comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for fifteen minutes, then turn them onto wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make Cream Cheese Icing: In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or, using hand mixer) beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. On low speed, slowly add confectioners’ sugar and mix until just incorporated.
Make the Salted Pumpkin Seeds: In small sauté pan, heat pumpkin seeds, brown sugar and salt over low heat. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until sugar has melted and pumpkin seeds are lightly toasted. Remove to plate to cool completely.
To assemble cake, place one layer on flat serving plate, rounded side down, and spread with frosting. Place second layer on top, rounded side down, and frost top and sides of the cake. Decorate cake with salted pumpkin seeds.
Serve immediately or keep in refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days. Let cake sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

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