Guest post: holiday cake with a touch of spice and lots of charm - Dairy Foods

I am very excited about today's guest post for many reasons; it is by Lisa of With Style and Grace who is incredibly sweet and very savvy in the kitchen, the post includes a delicious (and light) pecan spice cake recipe and who doesn't love adorable mini bunting?

Mini bunting is all the rage in the blogosphere right now and Lisa found a unique way to make it the perfect cake topper for your Thanksgiving dessert.  She included a very easy to follow tutorial in this post.

Lisa and I met a few weeks ago when she was in Minneapolis traveling with her husband on business. We had a fabulous champagne lunch with great conversation. Lisa's blog, With Style and Grace blog is a favorite of mine, it contains daily content all about baking and parties. 

All photo credits to Lisa of With Style and Grace.

As told by Lisa:

If your mother-in-law is anything like mine, master of all pies, there’s no competing. This year, add a touch beauty to your dessert table with this Pecan Spice Cake and charming DIY bunting. Whether you’re playing hostess or volunteered to bring the dessert, you’re friends and family will be impressed, even your mother-in-law.

Attention: Go ahead and leave your fat pants tucked away because this recipe is waistline friendly.

Pecan Spice Cake with Maple Frosting

Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Frosting recipe adapted by Ina Garten via House Beautiful

Cake Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 chopped pecans, toasted

Frosting Ingredients

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon Boyajian Natural Maple Flavor
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 (8-inch) round cake pans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (or butter if you prefer). Line bottoms of the pans with wax paper; coat with cooking spray (or butter). Dust each pan with 1 teaspoon flour.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix well.

In a large mixing bowl, beat medium-high speed 1 cup of brown sugar and ½ cup butter until light and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk, alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until combined. Fold in 1/3 cup pecans. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes on wire racks. Invert cake layers onto racks; cool completely. Discard wax paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread about ¾ cup frosting evenly over one layer; top with second layer. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake. Sprinkle with pecans (optional).



Bunting Materials

Fabric
Cardboard
Needle & thread
Wooden skewers
Messaging optional
Alphabet stamps
Ink pad

Bunting Instructions

Cut the cardboard in the shape of a triangle. Using a pencil, trace the triangle cutout on fabric. Depending on the width of the cake &/or the desired message, trace 6-8 triangles. Following the penciled triangles, cut fabric. With the needle & thread, one by one, stitch fabric triangles together, leaving enough room at both ends to tie onto the wooden skewers. Once you have your messaging, stamp the letters onto the fabric triangles. Tie the ends of the thread to the wooden skewers and insert into the cake. Voila!



Thanks so much to Lisa for being a guest blogger on Eat Drink Pretty! I can't wait to test out this cake recipe, perhaps I will bring this as my dish to Thanksgiving this year.

Don't forget to visit Lisa's blog With Style and Grace!