Birch Tree Cake (Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting)

 

When I was little, my mom would make Libby’s pumpkin bars every fall. 

It’s not fall now, but those pumpkin bars popped in my mind, so I wanted to make them.  

But was the recipe on the Libby’s can? No.  Was it on the Libby’s website? Also no.  And my mom was on vacation, so I couldn’t ask her to check her recipe box.

So I started scouring the internet and finally came across a recipe for Libby’s Cake.  Looking at the recipe (baked in a sheet pan) and what I remembered as pumpkin bars,  I am pretty sure this is the one.

But since the I saw the word “cake”, cake was totally in my brain.  Why couldn’t I take my childhood favorite and and make a pretty layer cake instead?  Yaaaaasssss!

Since the cake has fall flavors, I decided to do with a rustic woodland theme, decorating the cake to like a birch tree stump and accessorizing with meringue mushrooms.  And since it was a tree, I added Hubs’ and my initials as a little love note.  So fun!

Sunday Funday

Cake

• Birch Tree Cake (Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting) by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Boiled Fruit Cake by Sneha's Recipe
• Cherry Almond Cake, Eggless by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Chocolate Guinness Cake with Irish Buttercream by A Messy Kitchen
• Easy Birthday Cake by Making Miracles
• Medovik by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Tangerine-Ricotta Cake by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Twinkie Layer Cake for a Friend's 50th by Culinary Cam

Libby’s Pumpkin Bars/Cake

Adapted from Simply Happenings

Cake

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons butter, softened

½ tablespoon shortening (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ pounds powdered sugar (5 ½-6 cups)

1 tablespoon milk, optional, only if frosting is too thick

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare the baking pan.  For pumpkin bars, line a 12x17-inch pan with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.  For cakes, line two 8-inch or three 6-inch pans and spray with nonstick spray.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and mix until fully combined.  Add the pumpkin and mix until fully incorporated.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.  Stir until mixed.  Pour into prepared pans.  For a sheet pan, bake for 20-25 minutes or for cakes, bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

To make the frosting,  place the cream cheese, butter, and shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.  Add milk if the frosting is too thick.

Frost once cakes are completely cooled.

To decorate, frost the cakes with cream cheese frosting.  Use a toothpick to make wood grain.  Add a few drops of water to brown food coloring.  Brush the food coloring across the wood grain.  To decorate the top, water down the food coloring and use a large brush to brush concentric circles over the top.  Then, drag the toothpick through again and add darker detail with more concentrated food coloring.

Add meringue mushrooms, if desired.  Refrigerate until ready to enjoy and refrigerate any leftovers.