14 November 2012

Pumpkin Custard Layered Spice Cake... in a glass.

I admit. The title is nothing more than a poor (and poorly disguised) attempt at not calling this recipe a parfait.
As I was preparing to write, I looked back over the last two recipes, and despite the fact that this one is truly more of a parfait than the previous two could ever hope to be, I've definitely got a recipe theme1 running here: Pudding/Custard treats layered in a glass with some sort of crust/crumble/cookie/cake.

I did write up the Dragon Coconut recipe as a pie... yeah, in a glass, but still. Looking back, I really don't know why I called the Sunbutter Cup recipe a parfait; architecturally, it's much more similar to a pie: crust, filling, chocolatey shell topping. Now I feel like I've used my allotment of the word parfait, and I shouldn't be following parfait recipe with parfait recipe.2 Instead of maybe saving it to post later, after a couple more recipes have nudged the Cucina Libera parfait idea out of recent consciousness,3 I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to rename the recipe.4
It's too bad because this recipe is an honest-to-goodness parfait. It's even layered with cake and everything!



We all know that as soon as Autumn rolls around, pumpkin-anything is ubiquitous, and I'm certainly not immune to the charms of the globular, orange gourd.5 So, I present (another) pumpkin recipe, just in time for the holidays.think this is a neat/fancy alternative to the old pumpkin pie standard.6 In fact, I will be making these for our holiday celebration, as requested by my brother, who exclaimed that "they taste just like pumpkin pie with whipped cream!"7

I made somewhat larger ones for the "dress rehearsal", but I think I'm going to use tall shot glasses for the "performance".
For a LOWER SUGARS option, sub out the dates for 30-40 drops of Liquid Stevia; the custard may be a little "looser" but just as delicious.


Pumpkin Custard Layered Spice Cake... in a glass
(Serves 6-8)

For the Spice Cake:
  • 240g (2 Cups) Gluten Free All Purpose Flour OR 60g (1/2 Cup) Buckwheat Flour + 60g (1/2 Cup) Sorghum Flour + 120g (1 Cup) Tapioca Flour
  • 60g (6 Tbsp) Coconut Palm Sugar (feel free to sub Turbinado, Sucanat, etc...)
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Chia Eggs (2T ground chia + 6T filtered water)
  • 45g (3 Tbsp) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 60g (1/4 Cup) Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk (I used So Delicious®; other nut/hemp/oat milks will also work - rice will not)
  • 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar 
For the Pumpkin Custard:
  • 30oz Pumpkin Puree - home-prepared or canned (I found Trader Joe's Organic Pumpkin to be most similar - in consistency/taste - to home-prepared pumpkin puree)
  • 6 Pitted Dates (soaked and peeled/skinned)
  • 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk (brought to room temp - again, I used So Delicious®, and again, other "mylks" will also work fine.)
  • 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (or combine 3/4tsp Cinnamon, 1/2tsp Nutmeg, 1/2tsp Ground Ginger, 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves, Pinch of Allspice)
  • 1 Tbsp Virgin Coconut Oil (warmed to liquid)
For the "Whipped Cream":
  • 2 cans of Full Fat Coconut Milk (chilled in the fridge overnight) 
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 30 drops Liquid Stevia
Oven: 325F/160C
Bake Time: 25-30 min
Chill Time: At least 2 hours, or overnight.

**In order for the coconut cream to separate well, the fat content should be 12g or higher per serving; I've found Thai Kitchen brand to work well. 

Lightly oil two 8" round cake pans with coconut oil. Set aside (away from the oven).

[Prepare the Spice Cake]
1) Prepare the chia egg, and set aside.

2) In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry Spice Cake ingredients. Mix well.

3) In a separate glass, stir the ACV into the coconut milk, until the mixture begins to coagulate.

4) Add the chia eggs, ACV/coconut milk mixture, and the remaining wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Mix well.

5) Distribute the batter evenly between the two cake pans, and use a spoon or spatula to spread it evenly to the edges. The pans should end up being approximately 1/3 of the way full - we want a thin layer cake.

6) Bake at 325F/160C for 25-27 minutes. The goal is to  very (very) slightly overbake the cake. Allow the cake to cool in the pans, when ready.

While the cake is baking...
[Prepare the Pumpkin Custard]

7) Make sure all ingredients are room temp before starting; this is important! Combine all the custard ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Once the cake is ready and cooling...
[Prepare the Coconut Whipped Creme]

8) Carefully scoop the solid coconut cream, leaving the clear liquid behind.

9) Add the coconut cream, vanilla, and stevia to a (preferably glass, chilled) mixing bowl. Whip together, using an electric had mixer, until the mixture becomes fluffy and whipped-cream-like.

[Assemble!]

I used a biscuit cutter, appropriately-sized to fit my glasses, to cut even disks out of the cakes. Any circular cutter will work.
Sprinkle a bit of coconut sugar at the bottom of each glass (this is optional), then begin layering the parfait:
Cake|Custard|Coconut Cream [repeat].
I wanted my top layer to be Pumpkin Custard, but you can certainly choose to have a top layer of Coconut Cream. Garnish with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, a dollop of Coconut Cream, or both!

Chill the parfaits for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!


1. Albeit unintentional. Honestly!
2. Weirdo.
3. Or just saying, "Screw it; it's my blog. Here, have another an actual parfait recipe."
4. See #2 above.
5. I can't resist creating a recipe... at least one..., like the Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe I shared last year at this time.
6. Before anyone takes offense, I have absolutely nothing against pumpkin pie. I'm really quite fond of it.
7. Yes, he's been recruited as a taste-tester/test subject. "Gooble Gobble...!"

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