Pumpkin Orange Ribbon Cake

I was looking in making a pumpkin bread or cake with some kind of cream cheese filling.  I was craving the nuttiness of a pumpkin but also the sweet and savory taste of cream cheese filling.  

As I was looking through my cookbooks (and I have tons of them) I came across a card of pumpkin ribbon bread, that if I recall correctly, came through the mail with something but I don't remember what. That was when we still lived in Canada.  I kept the recipe card because the picture  looked good.  I had never tried to make it before.  There is no  name on the card from which cookbook or cookbook author came from so I really cannot give any credit to whoever came up with the idea of a pumpkin ribbon bread.  Needless to say I tried it first as the recipe ingredients and measurements requested.  I was a bit disappointed though when the recipe asked for two loaf pans and (I did use two) but the batter and the cream cheese filling was not enough to fill the loaf pans or enough batter to cover the cream cheese filling.  However, it tasted good.  But the presentation was not so great.  So I had to try and make it again.  This time I changed the amount of the ingredients.  I used a bit more of cream cheese and went with the less fat cream cheese, I used the whole can of pumpkin pie filling instead of a cup, added a bit more orange zest in the cream cheese filling and a bit more spice in the batter.  I also used a Bundt cake pan and let it bake for 1.5 hours.  It came out moist and delicious (the original recipe being a "bread" came out quite dense and didn't look like it was cooked through for the cooking time the recipe requested).  And the cake was quite photogenic, if I say so myself .  It's a nice fall or winter cake.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 30 servings)

Cream cheese filling

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp flour

1 egg

2 tsp grated orange peel

Pumpkin Batter

15 oz   cooked pumpkin

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

Directions

For filling:

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and flour. Add the egg and orange peel. Beat well together till creamy. Set aside.

For the pumpkin batter:

Beat together the pumpkin, oil and eggs. Add the sugar, flour, salt, cloves, cinnamon and baking soda. Mix well. Grease a Bundt cake pan. Pour 1/2 of the mixture in there. Spread the cream cheese mixture and finish with the remaining batter. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  Sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with orange slices.  The cake stays well in room temperature.  But after a day or two, store in in refrigerator.  Or you can store in refrigerator and decorate with icing sugar just before serving.  

I was also able to freeze part of the cake.  A few days later when I needed it, I let it defrost at room temperature, sprinkled it with icing sugar and served it.  It was still moist and tasted well.  

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (53.1 g) appr. 2 oz each serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 155

Calories from Fat 67

Total Fat 7.5g

Saturated Fat 2.1g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 21mg

Sodium 121mg

Potassium 44mg1%

Total Carbohydrates 21.1g

Dietary Fiber 0.7g

Sugars 14.9g

Protein 2.0g

Greek Pumpkin Pie - Kolokythopita

Here is a slight variation of the traditional pumpkin pie with a Greek twist. Instead of using pie dough I made it with phyllo dough. Just in time for Thanksgiving.  Enjoy!

Makes 32 pieces – approximately 2.5 oz each

Filling1 can (29 oz) pure puréed pumpkin (about 4 cups)
1.5 cups sugar
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 tbsp semolina
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp nutmeg

Crust
¾ cup melted butter
8 oz of phyllo dough (about 30 sheets)
1 tsp sugar
Water

Beat together the pureed pumpkin, sugar, semolina, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, evaporated milk, till smooth. Set aside.
Melt the butter and keep it warm.
Butter a 13x9 baking dish. Open up the phyllo dough package, and use just the one out of the two separate packages inside. Cover the phyllo dough sheets with a towel. Layer the phytllo dough one by one, by buttering each layer. Like the Spinach Cheese pie (Spanakotyropita) . Use half the package of phyllo dough, about 12 sheets. Pour the filling and fold the edges of the phyllo dough inwards. Layer with the remaining phyllo dough, by buttering each layer. When done, wet your hand and sprinkle the top with water, then with the sugar. Bake at 350° oven for 1 hour or until golden brown.  

When done, remove from the oven and let it cool. When cooled cut it into triangles and sprinkle with some cinnamon and icing sugar. Serve.

Note: the semolina will slightly thicken the pumpkin mixture without it being too runny
Note: by sprinkling the top phyllo sheet with water, will bake it into a crisper crust.

Nutrition Facts  Serving Size 
1 serving (67.0 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 135
Calories from Fat 58
Total Fat 6.5g
Saturated Fat 3.7g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 32mg
Sodium 89mg
Total Carbohydrates 17.9g
Dietary Fiber 1.0g
Sugars 12.2g
Protein 2.3g

Right out of the oven

 

 Enjoy!

 

 

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