Bakin Friends

Hi Friends,

Happy day after Thanksgiving!  Hope you all had a fabulous day with family & friends!  

It's that time again...Bakin' Friends reveal day!  This month I was paired with Marcia and the secret ingredient was NUTMEG.  Nothing screams Thanksgiving/November/Fall like nutmeg!  Anyway, Marcia made me an amazing a pumpkin cake...and it was amazing!  It was slightly sweet and pumpkin-y and full of delicious-ness!  Here is the recipe:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 1/3 cups Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, optional
• coarse white sugar for sprinkling on top, optional

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans (if you're making the plain version of the bread); two 9" x 5" loaf pans (if you're adding chocolate chips and nuts); or one of each, if you're making one plain loaf, and one loaf with chips and nuts.

2) In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and water.

3) Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, stirring to combine.

4) Mix in the chips and nuts, if you're using them. To make one loaf with chips/nuts, one loaf without, divide the batter in half. Leave one half plain, and add 3/4 cup chips and 1/2 cup nuts to the other half.

5) Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.

6) Bake the bread for 60 to 80 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean; and that same tester inserted about 1/2" into the top of the loaf doesn't encounter any totally unbaked batter.

7) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. When it's completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and store it overnight before serving.

It was seriously delicious and will be finding it's way into my baking rotation...thank-you so much Marcia!

If you're interested in signing up for Bakin' Friends, let me know! Send me an email to leahmarie{dot}mackenzie{at}gmail{dot}com

Please use Bakin Friends in your subject line and include your full name, email address, blog name & URL (if applicable).  For all the details, check out my {Bakin Friends} tab at the top of my blog.

Happy Baking!