Peekaboo Pumpkin Pound Cake with Brown Butter Pecan Icing

I saw the most amazing Peekaboo pumpkin pound cake with brown butter pecan icing on Sheknows.com.  I just had to try it out, I did learn it was a lot of work.  BUT it did turn out very cool.  I used a plastic pumpkin cookie cuter, NEXT time I will use a nice metal one with a longer stem.  My stem was a little small so when I put the pound cake mix on the top of the cooked pumpkin shapes it didn't make the pumpkin pop like it should.

This really is a time consuming recipe but when they cut into the bread and see the pumpkin shape it will blow anyone away.  It so was worth all the time!  This recipe is really like making 3 breads and merging them together.

Ingredients:

For the pound cake

• 1 (14-ounce) box pumpkin bread mix (I made homemade version)
• 1 (16-ounce) box pound cake mix (I made homemade version)
• Orange food coloring

For the icing

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Prepare Pumpkin Bread

Mix up pumpkin bread ingredients according to the directions on the box. Add orange food coloring to make it more "pumpkin-y" looking (less brown).  I made a homemade pumpkin bread instead of using a box mix.  

pumpkin bread INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups (200g) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin purée*
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnuts

* To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin.

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.

3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Remove from oven before completely done, about 8-10 minutes less than instructed. Let cool, remove from pan and refrigerate for up to four hours. Cut cold pumpkin bread into large slices. Cut pumpkin shapes from slices. Align them down the center of a lightly greased and floured 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.  

Make Pound Cake

Mix up your pound cake batter according to the directions on the box. Pour over your pumpkin bread cutouts in the pan, making sure to cover the tops of the pumpkins. You may have more pound cake batter than you need. Try not to overfill the pan. Bake according to the directions on the box. Let cool when done.  (I made my pound cake from scratch - SEE recipe below).

Pound Cake Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Mix in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Prepare the Icing

Put powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan, melt butter and boil, stirring until it starts to brown and form dark flecks on the sides and bottom. Remove from heat. Pour the melted brown butter and flecks over the powdered sugar. Add the evaporated milk and vanilla. Stir until combined and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if it appears too runny or more evaporated milk if it seems too stiff.

Icing Cake

Remove baked and cooled pound cake from pan and top with brown butter icing. Add chopped pecans, if desired. Cut into slices and delight your guests with the pumpkin-shaped surprise that peeks out from inside!

Step by Step how to make:

Small Pumpkin Cookie Cutter used:

Large Pumpkin Cookie Cutter Used

Left Over Pound Cake Mix

So I made a bunt cake for the Tutor.

Hope you give this one a shot!

Thanks for Stopping by!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.