SRC: Frosting Made from… Pumpkin Pie?

November 7, 2011 By

pumpkin pie frosting

Since deciding to eliminate powdered sugar from our diet, I’ve been on a quest to discover the greatest and best frosting recipes that don’t require powdered sugar at all. It’s been a fun journey, yielding amazing creamy delights like Caramel Buttercream (to. die. for.), Flour Frosting (so much better than it sounds), No-Powdered-Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting (the healthiest of the bunch), and my personal twist on 7-Minute Frosting, Fluffy Coffee Frosting.


It’s no surprise, then, that upon being assigned Meet the Swans for November’s Secret Recipe Club (Find out how the SRC works and see if you’d like to join!), that I didn’t have to look any further than her recipe for pumpkin pie frosting. Krista (the Mrs. Swan) loves to create deliciously decadent goodies with creative twists, like Double Chocolate Ice Cream Waffle Cupcakes, Two-Tone Cookie Crinkles, and Caramel Gingerbread Blondies.

Her creative bent was evident in her use of Pumpkin Pie (yes, the actual pumpkin pie, not a pumpkin-pie-flavored frosting) to frost cupcakes for a wedding, inspired by the genius of The Cupcake Project. I had to make this recipe, not only because it didn’t require powdered sugar, but because it was just so stinkin’ creative that I couldn’t NOT try it. Yes, I know double negatives are not grammatically correct. But you agree with me, don’t you? Aren’t you inspired to try it yourself?

pumpkin pie frosting

Go ahead, then. Frost those cupcakes with pumpkin pie and be the family celebrity at Thanksgiving this year.


Pumpkin Pie Frosting

slightly adapted from Meet the Swans

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cloves, crushed (or 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups scalded milk

Instructions

  1. Stir together eggs and pumpkin puree. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and spices, then stir into the pumpkin mixture. Gradually add the scalded milk until blended. Pour mixture into a greased 9″ pie pan, and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for a few hours, before refrigerating for at least 4 hours.
  2. When pie filling is completely cooled, remove from refrigerator and scoop into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whip attachment, beat just until fluffy and spreadable.
  3. Spread onto cake or cupcakes, or use a decorating bag to pipe a design.


I have to tell you that when I first made these, my DH was a tad apprehensive about pumpkin pie being the frosting. And with his first taste, he was kind of like, “Meh. It’s OK, but not great.” But then he couldn’t stop eating them (and I admit, neither could I!), and after a few more he told me multiple times that “those cupcakes were really good.” High praise, folks!

pumpkin pie frosting

This is definitely not the QUICKest frosting in my repertoire, that’s for sure. Because of the cooling and refrigerating time that’s an absolute must, you really have to plan ahead with this one and make it a day in advance.

It IS very EASY, though. This recipe is essentially the same as the one you’ll find on the side of Libby’s canned pumpkin, so if you’ve ever made that one, you’re good to go.

This time of year, it’s pretty CHEAP, unless there’s a pumpkin shortage in your area driving the pumpkin prices up. It’s probably about the equivalent of your average buttercream frosting in terms of cost, I’d say.

And it’s definitely a HEALTHY improvement over “normal” frosting. I would love to experiment using partial honey and sugar to reduce the refined sugar amount even further, but I was afraid to mess with the texture this time around. And having pumpkin as the main ingredient in a frosting? Soooo much better for your gut than buttercream … so go ahead, have another one. Or two. I won’t judge.

Of course, you have to use a frosting like this on a truly appropriate cupcake, something a little bolder than mere chocolate or vanilla. I went with sugar and spice… but you’ll just have to come back tomorrow for that recipe!

Now let’s be honest here: would you ever have thought to use pie filling as frosting?



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Powdered-Sugar-Free Frosting #5 for Anniversary #5

February 25, 2011 By

Five years ago today… I looked a lot younger, I was a bit skinnier, and my DH had more hair.

Five years ago today… there was no wind, no thunder, no rain, just blue blue skies and red roses everywhere.

Five years ago today… I said I do. And so did he.

Five years ago today… we ate a lot of cake.

And what better way to celebrate that day than… with more cake! And not just cake. A creamy, melt in your mouth, smooth as butter, perfectly sweet, caramel flavored frosting. For Anniversary Number 5, I bring you Powdered-Sugar-Free-Frosting Number 5.

Caramel Buttercream Frosting

1 cup raw sugar, divided

2 TBSP water

pinch of salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 egg whites

1 cup butter, softened

In a saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup of the sugar, the water and salt. Bring to a boil without stirring, and allow to cook for a couple minutes until it starts to turn color. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring this time, until it turns a nice dark amber color. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the cream. Allow to cool. In another saucepan, whisk together the egg whites and remaining sugar over medium-high heat until the mixture is foamy and reaches 160 degrees. Pour into a mixing bowl (I love my KitchenAid for these jobs!) and beat until there are glossy peaks when beater is raised. Beat in the softened butter a few tablespoons at a time. Beat in cooled caramel mixture. Frosts 1 layer cake.

A few tips you can gain from my near-disasters:

  • If the caramel mixture doesn’t blend well when you add in the cream, return it to the heat and continue stirring until the globs melt into the liquid. Don’t heat for too long; it will thicken some as it cools.
  • DO stir the egg whites constantly from the second you place them in the saucepan and turn on the heat. Otherwise, you will have little cooked bits of egg. Don’t ask me how I know.
  • Don’t add the caramel mixture to the rest of the frosting until it is room temperature or cooler.
  • If the finished product doesn’t seem thick enough or sturdy enough to spread on a cake, refrigerate it for a little while. It will firm up nicely.
  • I think this frosting would be amazing with a chocolate cake, but I decided to go with the hot milk cake for this occasion.

This is not the QUICKest frosting recipe I’ve ever tried, for sure. Definitely one to save for a special occasion when you have some time.

It’s not exactly EASY, but I will say this: there were several times I thought for sure I had ruined it, but no! Despite my clumsy goofs, in the end I still had a delicious decadent caramel frosting. So don’t be scared by all the instructions and multiple steps. It turned out to be difficult to ruin (Not like I was trying to ruin it! That just comes naturally.)

It’s not CHEAP, either, using half a pound of butter and 4 egg whites (Do save a little money and use those egg yolks for something else. I plan to turn them into lemon curd if I have some time today or tomorrow.). That’s why it’s an anniversary recipe, and not an every-day recipe!

As I’ve said before, when it comes to dessert and frosting, HEALTHY is relative. It’s healthier than the frosting in the can because it is made with real, whole ingredients. It still has a lot of sugar, though, so should be enjoyed sparingly. Like for your anniversary!

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Two for One: Chocolate Banana Cake and another Powdered-Sugar-Free Frosting!

January 19, 2011 By

My intention was to have two separate blog posts, one with the chocolate cake, one with the frosting, but the days just keep going by in a blur of diapers, feedings and naps and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and write one post, let alone two. So here we are, with a two-fer!

First of all, the cake.

It’s more than chocolate cake, it’s chocolate banana cake. My sister thinks that’s disgusting, but both my DH and I thought it was delicious. The use of the banana makes it so moist and adds another layer of sweet flavor. We normally never finish a cake before it goes bad, but we’ve already almost polished off this one!

Another plus is that it is egg-free, which is great if you avoid them or have allergies. Or if you don’t have eggs on hand, which happens!


Chocolate Banana Cake
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup raw sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed banana

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, hot water and vanilla; stir well. Add mashed bananas and mix thoroughly until well blended. Pour batter into two greased and floured round cake pans. Bake in a 350F oven for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then invert pans and release cake. Cool completely before frosting.

Aside from the extra step of mashing the bananas and melting the butter (neither of which takes longer than a minute), it’s just as QUICK as a box mix.

It’s also just as EASY as a box mix. Mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, stir, bake. What could be easier?

It’s CHEAPer than many cakes because it doesn’t require eggs. Doesn’t save you much, but hey, every little bit helps, right?

It’s pretty HEALTHY as cakes go, with the use of partially whole wheat flour, as well as the addition of bananas. It uses the minimum amount of sugar for a recipe like this.

Now for the frosting….

Knowing of my quest for powdered-sugar-free frostings (apparently, a quest shared by many of you as it is one of my most popular features ever), a friend alerted me to Flour Frosting. I had never heard of such a thing, but a quick google search led me to some great blogs and recipe sites that convinced me i definitely needed to try it.

I’ll admit it’s still a work in progress. Don’t get me wrong; it tasted amazing, and the texture was so light and fluffy. It was like whipped cream frosting but… better! However, it looked a little grainy and slightly separated, and as I read more about it, I realized I should have beat it longer (which is contrary to what I would think, but that seems to be what everybody said would do the trick. So next time, I’ll beat it longer! Also, I saw a couple different variations, and I think I will try them all and see which one I like best.

It’s perfectly delicious as is, though, so I’m going to share it with you now. Now go eat some cake… without any powdered sugar!


Flour Frosting
5 TBSP flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter
1 cup raw sugar

Whisk flour into milk in a medium saucepan until dissolved. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool to room temperature and stir in vanilla. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add milk mixture and continue beating until it resembles whipped cream. Frost.


This is not as QUICK as other frosting recipes, but the extra bit of time is definitely worth it.

Other frostings may be EASY-er and less finicky, but they probably don’t taste as good.

This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients so it’s fairly CHEAP. It does take a whole cup of butter, which can be pricey unless you get it on sale (I was stuck without enough butter, so I had to pay full price. I hate that!).

Frosting recipes aren’t really HEALTHY, but this one’s not bad. It’s definitely a lot better than the frostings that come in the little cans, and because it doesn’t have tons of powdered sugar, it’s healthier in that respect as well.

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Frostings Without Powdered Sugar: Fluffy Coffee Frosting

April 9, 2010 By

Why no powdered sugar, you ask? The answer requires a bit of explanation. I’ve been involved in an on-going process of improving my diet, removing the unhealthy and adding in the healthy. Every now and then, I get stuck for various reasons, most often because the healthy stuff can be expensive (for example, organic meat. I would prefer to buy organic meat all the time, but right now, it’s unaffordable for me.). Sometimes, though, I just get a creative mindblock, and I don’t know how to replace an unhealthy item with its healthy counterpart. Like powdered sugar. I got rid of regular sugar quite some time ago, and replaced it with turbinado sugar, which, while still not healthy, is less processed than table sugar and manages to maintain some nutritional value. I also use honey whenever possible. However, I still kept brown sugar and powdered sugar on hand, because, even though they come from regular granulated sugar, they seemed irreplaceable in certain dishes and baked goods. I’ve since discovered that turbinado sugar nicely replaces brown sugar in a variety of things, but powdered sugar still had me stumped. How do you make a glaze or a frosting without powdered sugar? The vast majority of frosting recipes (Buttercream, the favorite by far, for example) all require several cups of powdered sugar. I consoled myself that I made such things rarely anyway, so it was no big deal to have that minimal amount of powdered sugar.

Until some time last year, when I seriously began researching different frosting recipes that did NOT call for powdered sugar at all, or in such minimal amounts that it could easily be replaced with something else. I was surprised to find that such recipes do exist, and furthermore, they add a lot more flavor and texture to your cake than the typical powdered-sugar-rich frostings do. I’ve crossed the bridge and have burned it behind me. Goodbye, powdered sugar! I don’t need you anymore!

The first powdered-sugar-free frosting I’m going to share with you is the one I used to top the Moist Chocolate Cake I made for my sister-in-law the other day. Because she likes mocha, I made the frosting with coffee to go with the chocolate flavor in the cake, but this frosting can be made in pretty much any flavor you desire. Just replace the coffee with an equal amount of water, and then when you are finished beating the frosting, add a teaspoon of some flavoring (such as vanilla, or almond).

This recipe is an old-fashioned standard often called “Seven-Minute Frosting”. To be honest, I don’t know why it’s called that, because you cannot rely on the clock to be sure you’ve beaten the frosting the right amount of time. Many variations exist on the recipe, most of them calling for oodles and oodles of sugar with oodles and oodles of corn syrup on top of that. Corn syrup being something else I try to avoid, I went with the recipe that called for the least amount of sugar, and used cream of tartar instead of corn syrup. Trust me, it’s plenty sweet enough, even with coffee as the liquid!

Traditionally, a double boiler is used for this recipe, but if you don’t have one, that’s fine! Just use a sturdy glass Pyrex-type bowl (one that can withstand high heat) on top of a saucepan. Before you start cooking, make sure the bowl fits well in the saucepan. It should be snug but not tight (easily removed but not loose), and there should be several inches between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the saucepan. The bowl should rest safely in the saucepan without you holding it there to stabilize it. And be careful, because the bowl WILL get hot.

What you will need for sure is a hand-held electric mixer. The mixture has to be beaten while heated in the double boiler, and there’s no way to do that with a stand mixer.

Scroll down for a printable version.

Fluffy Coffee Frosting
2 egg whites
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
1/3 cup strong coffee
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Bring an inch or two of water to boil in the saucepan. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a glass bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer until well blended. Place the glass bowl on top of the saucepan, and continue beating with the mixer until stiff peaks form.

This process supposedly takes about 7 minutes, but don’t bother going by the clock. When you lift up the beaters (after turning the mixer off!), you should see stiff peaks remaining, like this:

When you see that, remove the frosting from the heat, and beat it until you reach the desired consistency (this won’t take long at all.) If you are using water instead of coffee, add a teaspoon of flavoring such as vanilla or almond and beat until it’s blended in. Now you’re ready to frost your cake.

I like to use my silicone spatula for basic cake frosting

Be very sure your cake is cool to the touch before attempting to spread this frosting. If your cake is cool enough, this frosting will go on smoothly without a problem, but if it’s still warm, the frosting will stick and catch and make a big mess. Once the frosting is spread, you can use the flat side of the spatula (or a knife) to create some texture in the frosting. Swirl it around in big or little swirls, or press it against the frosting and lift straight up to create mini peaks all around, which is what I did. I also sprinkled a little cocoa powder for an extra touch:

Grated baking chocolate could also be used, or sliced strawberries, or other fruit. Even mint leaves would be pretty.


Fluffy Coffee Frosting
2 egg whites
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
1/3 cup strong coffee
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Bring an inch or two of water to boil in the saucepan. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a glass bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer until well blended. Place the glass bowl on top of the saucepan, and continue beating with the mixer until stiff peaks form. This process supposedly takes about 7 minutes, but don’t bother going by the clock. When you lift up the beaters (after turning the mixer off!), you should see stiff peaks remaining. When you see that, remove the frosting from the heat, and beat it until you reach the desired consistency (this won’t take long at all.) If you are using water instead of coffee, add a teaspoon of flavoring such as vanilla or almond and beat until it’s blended in. Now you’re ready to frost your cake.


This is a pretty QUICK frosting, I would say, definitely less than 10 minutes, start to finish.

I always thought it was more of a difficult frosting, but to be honest, it’s very EASY. It does require some equipment, like the hand mixer, and it does require some perception as far as when it’s finished beating.

This recipe is CHEAP in comparison to the others that called for twice as much sugar, and 3 or 4 egg whites. If you don’t have cream of tartar, that would be an expensive outlay just for one recipe, but you only use a tiny amount, and then you have it on hand to use again in this and other recipes. And, instead of buying an additional sugar product (powdered sugar), you can just use regular sugar.

HEALTHY? Well, it doesn’t have powdered sugar, so that’s something. No corn syrup, either, which is a benefit. It does have egg whites which are healthy. Other than that, about all I can say is, enjoy sparingly!

Need more healthy dessert recipes? I highly recommend

Katie Kimball’s Smart Sweets, available for only $9.95!

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