PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CAKE ft. WOVEN MAGAZINE

 

over the past couple weeks i worked on a super exciting feature with the creators of wovenmagazine!!!! a west coast based magazine who captures the stories of makers, artist & thinkers. check out the interview with me + the recipe for this pumpkin chocolate layer cake! both the pumpkin & chocolate layers are made with fresh pumpkin. make this for an upcoming halloween party or have it grace your thanksgving holiday table. it might just be better then pumpkin pie (yeah i said it).

get the article here.

xo

ingredients

for the pumpkin cake

  • 1 ½ cups raw sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg

for the pumpkin chocolate cake

  • 1 ½ cups raw sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • ¼ cup Dutch cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg

for the buttercream frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

  • for the pumpkin cake: in a mixing bowl add sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil & vanilla. Mix until the ingredients are well combined & the eggs are light/fluffy. In a separate bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Stir until a smooth batter is formed. Grease & flour two 9-inch round cake pans, divide batter equally amongst the two. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

  • for the pumpkin chocolate cake: while the pumpkin cakes are in the oven, begin making the chocolate batter. In a mixing bowl add sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil & vanilla. Mix until the ingredients are well combined & the eggs are light/fluffy. In a separate bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Stir until a smooth batter is formed. Grease & flour two 9-inch round cake pans, divide batter equally amongst the two. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

  • for the buttercream frosting: once both your cakes have cooled completely, make your frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the beater attachment (or using hand held beaters) add your butter, sugar, and vanilla. Whip until light & fluffy, about 8 minutes.

  • to assemble: Start with the pumpkin layer, a generous amount of frosting followed by the chocolate pumpkin layer. Repeat. Frost the outside of the cake as desired.

like what you see? get it here. cake stand | cake server | linen | mixing bowl | wooden spoon | plates | mug | apron

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL APPLE PARTY

 

LET'S PARTY!!!!! so halloween is next weekend (boo!) & what's a better way to get in the spirit then throwing an apple on a stick & making a party out of it! today i am teaching you how to throw the ultimate caramel apple party. there are literally a zillion things you could dip, roll or drizzle an apple in. these are inspired by one of my favourite childhood treats from rocky mountain chocolate factory. they make the most decident, fun & delicious chocolate caramel apples ever. making caramel apples is perfect for a pre-halloween girls night in or to getting your little kiddies in the spirit. below is a list of what you need + the easiest two ingredient recipe for the perfect caramel dipping sauce! with all my left over chocolate & toppings i created a halloween chocolate bark (which you can see here). never ever let any ounce of chocolate go to waste! what are you doing to get in the halloween spirit? have you watched just about every horror movie on netflix like i have? what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, i think?!

what you need to throw the ultimate caramel apple party:

  1. 8 candy apple sticks, twigs or popsicle sticks.
  2. apples, duh! 8 medium size apples of your choice.
  3. a bowl of caramel sauce (see recipe below). bonus points for salted caramel!
  4. four types of melting chocolate: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate & orange chocolate. you will need a larger quantity of milk chocolate if you plan to dip each apple in it like i did. it seals in the gooey caramel. if you can't find orange chocolate, add yellow/red food colouring to white chocolate.
  5. as many toppings as you can possibly think of. i used coconut, salted peanuts, reeses pieces, mini chocolate chips, skor bits & halloween sprinkles.

for the caramel sauce:

ingredients

  • 1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons milk or water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional for salted caramel)

directions

  • using a microwave safe bowl add your caramel squares & milk. place in microwave 2 minutes & stir. if the caramel is not melted enough, continue to microwave in 30 second incriments until a smooth consistency is formed.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

like what you see? get it here. dip bowl | plate | french paddle | tiny plates

HONEY BERRY GRANOLA

 

it's a healthy recipe day on the blog! i wanted to call this a hearty winter granola, but we're still in the heart of fall (& i didn't want everyone to freak out about the fact that winter is coming) so i will calm down on my winter excitement. seriously though, this past weekend in toronto was so cold that i had to bust out my winter jacket. i think this is the first time that my winter coat made it's debut appearance in october! anyways.. we can get back to winter later. this granola is packed with a lot of healthy & filling ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit, coconut & honey. i used my favourite farmhouse pottery's vermont made honey which you can find here. if you want to make this granola vegan (or you are super canadian & like maple better), sub equal parts maple syrup for the honey. if you want a more clustery granola, toss an egg white into the mixture. this is another recipe where you can easily substitute/swap ingredients. i chose cranberries & blueberries because of the winter vibe i was going for, but if you must.. you can use raisins.

ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/3 cup raw sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup dried blueberries
  • 1/3 cup honey (can also sub maple syrup)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

directions

  • preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl add oats, walnuts, pecans, coconut, sugar, salt, cranberries & blueberries. stir a few times.
  • in a separate bowl whisk honey & oil. add to the dry ingredients & toss until everything is evenly coated.
  • pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the oats begin to turn a golden brown.
  • eat hot or cold & store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

like what you see? get it here. honey pot | mixing bowl | wooden spoon | french paddle | pour bowl