Low Fat Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

This is a delicious pumpkin cake that I have made many times. I wanted to cut the fat a bit so I substituted some applesauce for 1/2 of the butter and cut out some of the egg yolk. It tasted great and was really moist. I will make it like this from now on!

3 cups cake flour

2 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 egg whites

1 can (15oz) pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 12-cup bundt pan. 

2. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

3. In a large mixer bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs individually and beat well. Add vanilla and applesauce and mix well. 

4. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients. 

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake for about 60 minutes. After removing from the oven, cool for 10 minutes and remove from the pan. Let cool completely and then pour the cinnamon glaze over cake. 

Cinnamon Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbs. milk

Mix milk and cinnamon in a bowl. Add powdered sugar. If it is too stiff, add milk until you reach the desired consistency.

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

This round of pumpkin muffins I am just trying to make the best tasting muffin I can, not worrying about making them healthy. They turned out quite well. They looked great and were delicious. 

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

6 Tbs. melted butter

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup applesauce

1 Tbs. molasses

1 t. vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

Streusel Topping

1/4 cup flour

1 Tbs sugar

4 T brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbs. melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray. 

Topping: Combine all the dry ingredients. Add melted butter and stir until crumbly. Put in refrigerator until needed.

Muffins: 

In a  large bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients until smooth. In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix with a spoon until just incorporated. 

Fill muffin cups and sprinkle with the topping. Bake on center rack for 18-20 minutes. 

Pumpkin Muffin Trials

My mother has always made the most wonderful pumpkin bread, so I am using that as my starting recipe. I am trying to make it into muffins that are a little bit healthier, but still as delicious. 

Here is the original recipe:

Mom's Pumpkin Bread

3 cup sugar

1 cup corn oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 can (15oz) pumpkin

3 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

Mix sugar, oil and eggs.

Add pumpkin and mix well.

Add flour/spices and mix well. 

Pour into greased loaf pans.

3 large size foil pans, bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes

5 small loaf pans, bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes

I cut the recipe in half, so now it makes about 12 average size muffins. Then I added some bran, cut down the sugar and substituted lowfat buttermilk for half the oil. They turned out pretty well. Next time I think I might try adding a little molasses to see what that would do. 

Pumpkin Bran Muffins

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup corn oil

1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup bran buds

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground cloves

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Mix bran cereal with buttermilk and let soften for 5 minutes.  

Mix together remaining dry ingredients and set aside.

Mix sugars, oil and eggs, add bran/buttermilk.

Add dry ingredients and mix.

Bake in greased muffin tins for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.