Pumpkin Cake/Muffins

I had some leftover pumpkin after making the pumpkin scones. The recipe is actually for muffins, but I wanted to make a cake I could bring as a dessert to a picnic. The cake turned out, but I definitely think it would cook better as muffins. Overall, very delicious and moist! I'd add a little more nutmeg (or I need to buy a new thing of nutmeg since mine is over two years old).

Recipe adapted from Food Network In general, I often substitute some of the white flour with white whole wheat flour. I don't know if it does anything, but at least it makes me think the recipe is just a tad bit healthier.


INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup (4 ounces) white whole wheat flour
* 1 cup (4.25 ounces) cake flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 3/4 cup (5.63 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses (I used honey)
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
* 1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds (omitted)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, molasses, oil and 1 egg until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.