Snow Day Sweetheart Cake

The snow was in a whirl as I studied Dietitian Amber's recipe for Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Muffins.  I had all the ingredients on hand, including just the right amount of pumpkin in my freezer.  A few days ago, I purchased this sweet little heart cake pan at the thrift store (for a quarter).  So I adorned my apron and went at it!  

I measured 1/3 cup increments of water into the cake pan to determine the amount of batter to constitute about 2/3 of the depth.  That volume was 3 cups-or 9 muffins.  Since the recipe was for 12 muffins, I found a small bundt cake mold to hold the rest of the batter.

This recipe made 1-6 inch cake (9 servings) and 1-4 inch bundt cake (3 servings).

Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Cake

(12 servings)

In an electric mixer bowl, beat egg and sugars for several minutes.
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Alternately dry mix, then liquid mix to the egg-sugar.  Stir in just to mix.  Do not over mix.
Dry Mix
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Liquid Mix
1 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Separate 1/3 cup of the batter into a separate bowl.  Mix in cocoa powder.
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (not Dutch processed) 

Pour pumpkin batter into pans greased with an olive oil spray.  Spoon chocolate batter to the top.  With a pick, swirl chocolate into pumpkin batter.

Bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Run spatula around edges of pan.  Invert and cool cake.

Garnish
I thinly sliced a washed apple and removed the small core centers.  Cut the apple slices into hearts with a small cookie cutter.  Spread almond butter between 2 slices.  Drizzle with berry syrup. 

Dust cake with 2 teaspoons confectioners sugar.

The berry syrup is just that-the liquid from the berry topping I made for our Strove Tuesday pancake dinner.

Very Berry Topping

(Serves 4)

1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar

Combine water, sugar and berries in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer until 1/2 the liquid is absorbed.