all things pumpkin

I'm a little obsessed with pumpkin right now. Mainly because its the beginning of fall, but also because you can't find a lot of pumpkin goodies around here in Kansas. Back in Pennsylvania this time of year everything is pumpkin flavored. Pumpkin rolls, muffins, cheesecake, cupcakes, coffee, cakes and a ton more. I didn't find my love for pumpkin until I moved up north. Down south about the only place you will find pumpkin is pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving dinner and coffee shops. Southerners do more sweet potato desserts in the fall. I love both, but pumpkin has stolen the show for now.

I was flipping through some of my old food magazines the other day and came across a recipe for a pumpkin chiffon cake(basically pumpkin angel food cake) in Rachael Ray's magazine, and I had to make it. Here's how it goes:

Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
Serves 12

1 cup flour
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs separated, PLUS 5 egg whites, all at room temp
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 325. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and pumpkin puree. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.

Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the 9 egg whites at medium speed until foamy, about 2 minutes.

With the machine on, gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar; increase the speed to high and beat until stiff but still moist, about 2 minutes.

Add one quarter of the egg white mixture to the pumpkin batter, folding with a rubber spatula just until no white streaks are left. Repeat 3 more times with the remaining egg white mixture.

Pour the batter into a 10 inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

 

Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn the pan upside down. Let cool upside down until completely cool, about 1 and 1/2 hours. Place the cake right side up and remove the bottom from the pan.

Pin It This cake turned out soooo good! It has the texture of an angel food cake, but tastes like pumpkin pie filling. Yum. I would rate this recipe as moderately difficult. Working with egg whites is tricky. If you whip them too long they will start to break down and water will leach out of them. You should stop beating the egg whites when you can hold the whisk upside down (like the picture above somewhere) and that little tip doesn't slump over, but they still look spongy and airy and not glossy. This recipe is definitely going in my favorite recipe folder.