Pumpkin Cake with Maple Icing

I’m out of control with my pumpkin spice lattes. Seriously. I need an intervention.

With the exception of pumpkin flavoring, I’m not embracing fall at all. In fact, I got a pedicure yesterday, because I intend to keep wearing flip flops until the snow flies. Firm denial. Plus, I have a new adorable paw print tattoo on my foot that it pains me to cover. I won’t do it. Fall can just fuck right off.

This is the time of year I start nesting like a crazy person, though. I’ve been canning and baking like I’m someone’s grandmother, which is insane because I’m not having kids, and will never be anyone’s grandmother (Thank God!). So I made this cake the other day, on the same day I canned a bunch of tomato sauce and salsa. I also made a zucchini gratin casserole that morning, and topped it with an egg for breakfast (see pic to right). Out. Of. Control.

The pumpkin cake didn’t actually look exactly like the pictures from the original recipe. I’m not sure what I did wrong, but the icing is way thicker on my cake. This isn’t really a problem, but an improvement, in my opinion. The cake itself isn’t very sweet, but the crumbly top and icing makes up for it. I honestly think I’ll double the topping next time. If you do that, let me know how it turns out.

This recipe originates from Pinch of Yum.

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Icing

For the cake:

1/2 cup salted butter, mostly melted

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon all spice

1 pinch of nutmeg and ground cloves

For the topping:

6 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons brown sugar

6 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter, melted

For the icing:

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 6×11 (or equivalent) baking dish. Whisked together butter, brown sugar, pumpkin, and eggs until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Mix until combined, and pour into prepared dish.

Mix topping ingredients with your hands, until it becomes crumbly. Sprinkle over top of cake. Bake for 45 minutes.

Melt butter for the icing in a sauce pan over very low heat. Add the maple syrup and vanilla, then the powdered sugar. Whisk over low heat until all the sugar dissolves into the liquid. Pour over finished cake. Eat immediately, preferably with a PSL. Tell fall to fuck off (except for its pumpkin flavored treats).