Pumpkin Sugar Cake & Everyday Baking Cookbook Giveaway

Pumpkin Sugar Cake

Because it’s fall and we’re entering into serious comfort food and holiday baking season, we’re giving away three copies of The Old Farmer’s Almanac new cookbook: Everyday Baking!

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Everyday Baking cookbook answers the burning questions with which bakers are faced each and every time they turn on their ovens:

What’s for breakfast? The most important meal of the day can be made sweet with Big-Batch Fresh Raspberry Muffins or savory with Bacon–Blue Cheese Scones.

Bacon Blue Cheese Scones

Is it possible for corn bread to be too rich? Yes, and Everyday Baking has the recipe (it’s delicious!), alongside others for quick breads such as Glazed Lemon Coconut Loaf, Pumpkin Cranberry Bread, and Wheaten Irish Soda Bread—all of which can be made in under an hour.

Entirely Too Rich Corn Bread

Which cookie goes best with milk? Try Triple-Chocolate Pecan Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Cookies, Really Old-Fashioned Gingerbread People, or one of the over two dozen recipes in Everyday Baking’s cookies section.

Chocolate Mud Bars

TO ENTER: 

Leave a comment with your favorite boy name and your e-mail address (We found out we’re having a boy, and yes I’m fishing for good names!).

Three winners will be picked using random.org and announced on Tuesday, November 6. We will mail the cookbook to you. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

Pumpkin Sugar Cake 
Recipe from The Old Farmer's Almanac Everyday Baking cookbook 

This "cake" can be served as a coffee cake for breakfast or with a scoop of ice cream for dessert! Please read the recipe all the way through before you begin, as it requires 1 1/2 hours of resting time.

DOUGH: 
¼ cup lukewarm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 packet (2 ½ tsp) active dry yeast
¾ cup mashed or canned pumpkin
½ cup milk, slightly warmer than body temp
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg plus 1 yolk, at room temperature
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour

TOPPING: 
¾ cup packed light-brown sugar
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
7 TBSP unsalted butter

For dough: Pour the water in to a small bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Stir to blend, then set aside for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin, milk, sugar, oil, egg and yolk, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the dissolved yeast. Whisk well. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of flour, 1/3 cup at a time, beating well with the spoon for 1 minute after each addition. Do not skimp on the time: This hand beating eliminates the need to knead. Set the dough aside long enough to butter a 13x9-inch baking pan. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and into the middle of the baking pan. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Tear off a sheet of plastic wrap a little larger than your pan and oil it or coat with nonstick spray; the oil will ensure that the plastic doesn’t stick to the dough. Place the plastic on top of the dough with the oiled side toward the dough, center the plastic, and press the dough out evenly into the pan. Take your time to make it reasonably level. Remove the plastic and cover the pan with a fresh sheet of plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature for 1 ½ hours to rest (it won’t seem to rise very much).

For topping: While the dough rests, put the brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until the nuts are very finely chopped. Set aside.

After 1 ½ hours have passed, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic and cover the dough evenly with the brown sugar topping. Using a fingertip, make 12 deep indentations in the dough (three evenly spaced rows of four holes). Melt the 7 tablespoons of butter and spoon evenly over the top, letting some of it drip into the holes. Bake one the center oven rack for 35 minutes. The top will be a rich golden brown, but the best indicator of doneness is total baking time. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Makes 12 to 15 servings.