Pumpkin Cake

I've made this as a cake and frosted it with cream cheese frosting (see below), and as a pumpkin bread with chocolate chips in it. Both are equally delicious (and, as a pumpkin bread, better than the recipe I posted in 2014).

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 ground cloves
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (or a 15 oz can)
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan (or small bread pans).

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a large bowl; set aside. 

3. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. Batter will be thick.

4. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-36 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.

5. Remove the cake from the oven and set the entire pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. Frost if desired.

Cream cheese frosting

8 ounces regular cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sourdough Crackers

Another simple and delicious way to use your sourdough start discard. 

1 cup mature sourdough start (stirred down)
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp herbs de Provence (thyme, basil, fennel, lavender) or similar

1. Preheat oven to 325° and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Melt butter in a bowl and add 1/4-1/2 tsp salt and herbs; mix and let cool slightly. Pour 1 cups sourdough start into butter and mix well.

3. Spread evenly over parchment paper with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes, then take out of the oven to score with a pizza cutter. Bake an additional 20+ minutes until lightly golden.

4. Cool and store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

(More) Chocolate Cake

This is a combination of Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate Cake" and the Devil's Food Cake from America's Test Kitchen—the best of both worlds.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plain cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 milk
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350° with rack in the middle position. Grease (and flour) two 9-inch round cake cans and line the bottom of each pan with waxed or parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.

3. Beat butter in a medium bowl at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat at hight speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. add eggs, beat until combined. Add sour cream (or yogurt), milk and vanilla and beat until combined.

4. On low speed, add cocoa powder until combined. Add the flour mixture just until combined (do not over beat). Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again, and stir boiling water in to thoroughly combine.

5. Divide batter evenly into pans and bake for 26-30 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each pan and invert cake onto a plate. Peel off the paper and re-invert onto a wire rack. Cool completely and frost.