The temp’s are cooling, and the cider mills are calling my name. I love the fall! Growing up in Michigan, this was always a festive time of year in the north country. People everywhere, of all ages, flock to cider mills where fresh greasy doughnuts and equally inviting fresh pressed cider are consumed in excess. Moving to the South, specifically the Atlanta area, was quite a change for this cider mill loving girl. In the South, cider mills are quite a long drive away from where we live and they aren’t called cider mills at all, they are referred to as cider houses. My cravings were too severe to miss a cider season, and come the first fall we lived here I HAD to find my tummy some cider and doughnuts. Although I think my husband was tired of hearing about my NEED to have doughnuts, we asked the locals for recommendations and at long last we found a cider “house” about 1 hour and 15 minutes from our home. Oh was it worth the drive! We not only gorged ourselves with sugary, fatty delights, but we also took in a Dixie clog dance show as I tanked the last of the cider. It was a great family fun day in the Northern mountains of Georgia.
Well this time of year, doughnuts aren’t the only thing I crave. I love the abundance of apple and fall recipes that fill my countertop. I adore pumpkin and cinnamon filled baked goods, so with the temps dipping, I pulled my old standby fall recipe out of the recipe box. This recipe is fast and the perfect fall food to satisfy that cooler weather sweet tooth.
This year I used fresh milled flour instead of white flour. Since last fall I have acquired a WonderMIill and anytime a recipe calls for flour, I am now using fresh milled flour. After I learned how many nutrients are in fresh milled flour as opposed to regular bleached flour, I have stopped baking with anything but fresh milled. I must say the more you bake with with flour in its most natural form, the more you get used to it and you really can’t tell a difference. The only difference is more vitamins and goodness this is adding to your body. This recipe can of course be also used with regular white flour.
Pumpkin Cake
4 eggs
3/4 C. oil (I used olive oil)
2 C. sugar( I used honey granules)
Mix these three ingredients together in bowl with a mixer, and then add to that:
2 C. flour (I used white hard wheat)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
Mix that well until moist. And then add to that, by hand, 2 C. pumpkin. Now, I used canned pumpkin and one can ends up being a little less than 2 cups but, I wasn’t going to open another can so… a little less it is.
Pour cake batter into a 9 by 13 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. And then serve warm with a dollop of whipped topping on the cake. DE-LISH-US! Just be warned that you might eat the entire cake on your own, I’m pretty sure I have. The best part about this cake is that it really doesn’t have any BAD ingredients, and therefore I don’t feel guilty eating it in the morning for breakfast (or that’s at least what I tell myself, pretty convincing hey?).
With it being pumpkin season you can of course also use fresh pumpkin. I have never done that, although I have gotten more into canning as of late and I think I might buy an extra pumpkin or two this year and do a trial run.
Enjoy this cake but more importantly enjoy this fall! At this time last year I was in the battle of my life against cancer and wasn’t able to completely enjoy all the season has to offer and take in the fall colors. This year I have decided my battle will be with my tastebuds, eating my fair share of doughnuts while taking in the beautiful fall colors that will surround my life for the next few months!
**This is my 2nd recipe for The Grain Mill Wagon Challenge**
