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Pumpkin Angel Food Cake


You've just been told asked to bring a dessert for Thanksgiving and you are wondering what you could make that seems like a homemade dessert but really is a simple combination of several ingredients.  I understand that not everyone has time to bake from scratch and so I tested this cake  in our home and I can tell you that it turns out less like angel food and more like a moist pumpkin pound cake.  It will not rise as high as a regular angel food cake so your pan will not fill to the top like a regular angel food cake does.
You could bake it in two layer cake pans, a 9 X 13 pan, a tube pan or a Bundt pan like the cake you see in the photo.   In this recipe I have frosted the cake with a cream cheese frosting but you could whip up some heavy cream, slice the cake and add a dollop of whipped cream to each slice.
Either way... it's quite delicious and tastes like Thanksgiving!

  • 1 box 450 grams or 1 lb white angel food cake mix
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 398 ml  / 15 oz can or 1 2/3 cups pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) 
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice ( or 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg )
  • 3/4 cup cold water
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Spray the pan of your choice with cooking spray.
  3. Combine all the ingredients in a large glass or metal bowl and beat on medium speed for one minute.  Scrape bowl once in between to ensure all ingredients have been mixed in.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean.  The cake will need between 30 - 45 minutes to bake depending on your pan.  To test for doneness, a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake should come out clean.
  5. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1/3 cup softened butter
  • 1 cup softened cream cheese (can be spreadable)
  • about 2 cups icing/powdered sugar 
  • finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional) 
  1. Beat together butter and cream cheese and then slowly beat in the powdered/icing sugar until you have a spreadable frosting that holds its shape.
  2. Spread evenly over cake and garnish with finely chopped crystallized ginger.
Slices into 12 servings

11 comments:

  1. Oh good, I was just asked to bring a dessert to a dinner tonight. The box mix will likely have high altitude directions so I can safely make it here. Love those fall spicy desserts.

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  2. What an awesome idea! and the timing couldn't be more perfect - with thanksgiving dinner just around the corner, I now have a superb dessert baked and ready!
    Thank you for sharing! Love all the recipes!

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  3. Sounds delicious! you might want to mention that you should never, ever spray or grease your angel food pan (unless you have two -- one for angel food only, and one for other cakes). Happy Thanksgiving!

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  4. In our family, I bring the apple, while I delegate others to bring the pumpkin. Looks like a light and fluffy version. Maybe I could make that for Life Group! Looks good...and I recognize my Mom's dishes....

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  5. So , regarding greasing the pan, is it an angel food cake, or not? Perhaps it'll rise higher un greased?

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    1. It still has no fat so if you want to go ahead and bake it in an angel food pan you can remove the cake as per the usual method. My bundt pan was sprayed with cooking spray and the cake still stuck a bit. I have not tested it without spray.

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  6. Hi, I love your recipes, especially the gluten-free ones, but am wondering if you could make them printer friendly? Thank-you, and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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    Replies
    1. Our recipes are printer friendly. The following instructions are on our sidebar.
      PRINT BUTTON
      To print a recipe click on the Title. You will find the Print button at the bottom of the recipe.

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  7. That just might work and do the trick, thanks for passing it along

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  8. Sounds delicious, I just want to try thank you for the printer friendly recipe.

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