Dessert: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and Cupcakes

Have your cake and cupcakes, too: One recipe yields chocolatey pumpkin spice cupcakes or a triple-layer cake.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health and fertility benefits of Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and Cupcakes

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

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. good-quality cocoa
2 tbsp. good-quality cocoa
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. fresh-grated nutmeg
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 c. pumpkin purée
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2.25` stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
5 large eggs
Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting

Instructions

Prepare cake pans: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter three 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with an 8-inch circle of parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Set aside.
Make the batter: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.

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