Pumpkin Pound Cake with Butterscotch Ganache

This is my first time joining in to bake with The Cake Slice Bakers!  Unveiling today is the new book we will be baking along with for the next 12 months, Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman.  Starting with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake.  I love the simple excuse I got to make to go to Barnes and Noble to look for this.  I paged through it and decided it was worth the purchase, oh darn! 
My chocolate chips called in and used a vacation day, butterscotch will be the kitchen temp for this cake- to be made into a ganache (pronounced guh-nosh).  Ganache sounds fancy, you can add to any cake recipe, making it sound like you slaved away in the kitchen.  It is actually much easier than making frosting or making the cake itself!  Give it a try if you have never made it, make sure to throw the word around to feel impressive.  I want to include the original recipe for anyone wanting to just dump in a cup of chocolate chips and call it a day.  Which would also be a very good choice. 

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Butterscotch Ganache
Print recipe here

1 3/4 C all purpose flour, unbromated and unbleached
1 TB golden flaxseed, ground (optional)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Vietnamese Cinnamon
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 C canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 C heavy cream
1 C walnut, coarse chopped

Butterscotch Ganache

1 C butterscotch chips

1 T unsalted butter, softened

1/3 heavy cream

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lay the walnuts on the bottom of the pan and set aside.

2. Combine the flour, ground flax, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

4. With the mixer on medium low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in the heavy cream.

5. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn over onto your serving plate so that the walnut crust is on top and let cool.

7. Make ganache while the cake is cooling.

          a.  Place butterscotch chip and butter in small mixing bowl.

          b.  Heat cream in small sauce pan until a boil.

          c.  Pour over butterscotch and let sit 3 minutes, whisk until smooth and let cool to thicken to your desire and pour over cake or individual pieces.

8. Store uneaten cake at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic for up to 1 week.

We however, could not let it cool.  We poured the hot sauce over the hot cake and ate it as a bedtime snack.  This had the 3 necessary senses to make good food.  Flavor, color and smell of October in a piece of cake.

Thanks for visiting me @

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:

and