If you’re looking for a grand finale for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, these gorgeous pumpkin spice cakes may be just the finish you need!
This moist cake is topped with a cream made from delicate mascarpone cheese and a little maple-flavored tuile (a crisp little cookie). Serve slices from one larger cake, or or prepare six smaller single-serving cakes, as shown here. Either way, your guests will be delighted.
Pumpkin spice cake with mascarpone cream and maple tuile
Yield 6 servings
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 can (16 ounces) pure pumpkin
For the mascarpone cream
- 3-1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
- 1 cup Disaronno brand amaretto
- 14 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup brown sugar
For the maple tuile
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 3-1/2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
For the cake
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and pie spice in a bowl; set aside.
Beat eggs and sugar in a mixer. Mix in oil and pumpkin. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Pour into a greased cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
For the mascarpone cream
Whip 2-1/2 cups heavy cream until soft peaks form; set aside.
In a small pot, combine 1 cup heavy cream and the amaretto. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixer, beat mascarpone and brown sugar on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the amaretto-cream mixture to the mascarpone and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Let cool. Fold in whipped cream. Let set in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
For the maple tuile
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
In a mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar for 1 minute, scraping bottom of bowl. Add maple syrup and honey; mix 1 more minute. Fold in flour by hand.
With a spatula, spread the mixture thin on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light brown, about 7 minutes. Break into six pieces.
When pumpkin cake is cool, spread with mascarpone cream and place maple tuile on top.
Courses Dessert
Recipe created by pastry chef Melissa Klepacki of AJ’s Fine Foods, Special for the Arizona Republic
