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| Pumpkin Pudding Cream Cheese Cake |
I am quite excited to be participating in improv cooking challenge hosted by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. This is my first time creating a recipe, or entering a cooking challenge, for that matter. When I found out that the two special ingredients were pumpkin and cream cheese, my mind filled with all sorts delicious ideas. After contemplating pies, cakes and breads, and even soups, I decided that I wanted to use this opportunity to try something new. In the wee hours of the morning, as I was up with our baby, inspiration hit, combining an old family recipe with a new twist...a pumpkin twist!
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| A creamy bite of pumpkin pudding and whipped cream cheese |
The creation??? Pumpkin Pudding Cream Cheese Cake! I hope you enjoy this rich and decadent dessert as much as my family has! Let me know what you think! :)
This is a layered cake, so we'll start off by baking a buttery, cookie crust, very similar to a Russian Tea Cake.
Combine the butter and the brown sugar in a bowl until well blended. Add the crushed walnuts and vanilla, and then add the flour and mix in a mixer until crumbly.
Pour the mixture into a 9x9 oven safe dish...
Press down lightly, and bake in the oven at 400 for 10-12 minutes and light golden brown.
While the crust is baking and the warmth and smell of butter and sugar is filling the air, it's time to begin the creamy second layer of whipped cream and cream cheese!
In your stand alone mixer, or hand-held, mix together the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until firm peaks form. Don't over-mix or you'll have deliciously sweet butter for your dinner bread, but no filling for your cake!
Perfect!
Set aside the whipped cream to use in just a couple minutes.
Back to the mixer...No need to wash anything (unless you licked the whisk!) because the next mixture will fold together with the whipped cream.
Cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
Very gently, fold in the whipped cream. Too much stirring will cause the whipped cream to fall, so resist the urge to make it completely uniform and allow it to look a little marbled.
To keep it cold while you work on the third layer, place it in a bowl, cover, and stick it in the fridge.
Now for the pumpkiny third layer!
In a 4 quart saucepot, stir together the sugar and cornstarch until there are no lumps. This is very important for a smooth textured pudding. Then add the dry spices, and stir.
Add the milk, stirring until the dry ingredients are suspended.
Stir in one cup of pumpkin.
Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding begins to boil. Stir two more minutes. I like to use a whisk to stir because it scrapes the bottom continuously, preventing the milk from becoming scorched.
In a small dish, separate the yolks and discard the egg whites and "belly buttons" (see definition of this highly technical cooking term in Twix Pie recipe!)
While stirring the eggs continuously, slowly add at least one cup of the hot pumpkin mixture to the eggs. (This is an important step to avoid scrambling the eggs!) Then add the egg mixture, back to the rest of the pudding and bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from the heat, and add the vanilla and a spoonful of butter.
Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely. Make sure to cover it with plastic wrap, and push the plastic all the way down to touch the pudding to prevent a film from forming on the pudding.
I'm thankful for these chilly fall days so that I can cool my baked goods outside instead of heating up my refrigerator with hot pies!
Time to assemble! Spread the cream cheese mixture on the cooled crust.
Follow with the chilled pudding.
Almost there!
No pudding pie is complete without a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top! Garnish with a dusting of ground nutmeg.
Enjoy!
Cookie Crust
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Layer
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
Pumpkin Pudding
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3 egg yolks
1 cup pumpkin puree
From one hearty appletite to another...happy cooking!
© Photography by Sandra Baumgarten
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