Jackson Jambalaya

Many folks are intimidated with baking but there is no real reason not to make this tasty dessert for family or friends. I understand the process for baking this delight for your guests will be lengthy but most of us have a lot more time than we admit. Just remember, Thanksgiving is coming up pretty soon and Christmas will be upon us right after that. Here is something special you can bake for either feast.

Warning Notice:  If you make this cake for your Thanksgiving desert, everyone will insist seeing it again on the dessert end of the sideboard at the family’s Christmas feast. 

I hope you know the world (or at least the foodies I love hanging with) loves a good dessert. I have an old friend who always eats his dessert first, saying he has a fear of eating too much and being too full of the stuff he eats every day to enjoy a dessert he might not see for months; perhaps never again.

Did you know desserts spelled backwards is stressed? If the meal is good, there is no real reason to not be stressed when it is over, so I recommend portion control so you have enough room to be able to eat dessert.

Desserts come in as many varied forms of nicety as you might imagine. I'm sure I will forget many, but my favorites include puddings, creams, mousse, sweet rolls, sorbets, truffles, pies, cheesecakes, meringues, mascarpone, fruits, flans, scones, sweet dumplings, Dutch babies, sponges, citrus, custards, crepes, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, upside down cakes, shortcakes, biscotti, cobblers, candies,  crumbles, mud pies, short breads, sundaes, bread puddings, brownies, blondies, berries, baklava, fried pies, tarts, tiramisu, teacakes, tortes, oh, I forgot Jello – There’s always room for Jello.

 

I can’t remember when I first came up with this cake, but it was a good day and has been in the several times I have made it.

Here is how you too, can make “Butternut Squash Rum Spice Cake with Cranberries, Candied Pecans, and Cream Cheese Icing “. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

Butternut Squash Rum Spice Cake with Cranberries, Candied Pecans, and Cream Cheese Icing 

Ingredients - for cake: 

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

3 teaspoons vanilla

4 Tablespoons of good rum

4 eggs

3 /4 cups flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 cups shredded butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds). This is half of the squash. More on that at the end

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries,

3/4 cup rum candied pecans (chopped)

 

Note: I found an error – I used baking soda and not the baking powder I show in the above photo 

Ingredients - Cream Cheese Rum Frosting

3/4 cup butter

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons of good rum plus 4 teaspoons milk

6 cups powdered sugar 

Ingredients - Rum Candied Pecans

2 cups pecan halves, shelled, cleaned, and chopped.
1 egg white
3 Tablespoons of good rum
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Spray oil (Pam), or butter
Baking pan

 

Directions - Sugar coated Pecans:

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F

Chop pecans into 1/8 to 1/4 inch pieces

Separate egg yolk from egg white and set the yolk aside. You will only use the egg white.

Add rum and vanilla to the egg white in a bowl and whip until frothy. Add pecans to the frothy egg white and stir until the pecan pieces are well coated.

Add the salt and cinnamon to the sugar and mix until uniform.

Add the pecans and mix until all are well coated.

Spray a baking pan with non-stick oil, or butter and spread the coated pecans in a single layer. Bake on the center rack of the pre-heated oven for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes – until the sugared pecan pieces are dry and slightly browned/cooked. Your oven may take a little less or more time. Do not burn the pecans. They only need to be dry and slightly browned.

Remove from the oven and cool.

You might want to double this recipe because these rum candied pecans are so good, you will eat at least half of them.

Directions: Butternut Squash Rum Cake

Coat bottom and sides of three 8 1/2 in baking pans with butter and dust with flour.

Peel and grate butternut squash. I used a food processor. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat brown sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs with mixer on medium until creamy. Add buttermilk and on low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and clove spices. Continue by adding squash, cranberries and (chopped) rum candied pecans at low speed then mixing to a uniform batter. 

Portion equally into the 3 prepped cake pans

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting

Trim away the domed surface of cooled layers to help keep the iced cake flat. I ate the trimmings so as not to waste anything. (There were a lot of them, but someone had to do it) See how tender and moist the vegetable oil and buttermilk make the baked cake. 

Directions: Cream Cheese Rum Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat butter, rum, milk, and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Stack layers with icing and sugared pecan pieces between each layer.

Crumb coat the stacked cake layers. I like to put aluminum foil strips under the bottom edges to keep the icing neat and not all over the plate. I will pull them when icing is finished. 

After waiting about thirty minutes for the crumb coat to settle, frost cake and sprinkle with rum candied pecans. You will notice the three layers makes this a pretty tall cake. IMO, so much the better. 

Store uneaten portions of your cake covered in refrigerator. to keep the cake fresh

Money photos: