Pumpkin Stout Gingerbread with Either Cream Cheese or Brown Butter Frosting
Pumpkin Stout Gingerbread
1 cup dark stout, such as Guinness or Wild Rose Alberta Crude Oatmeal Stout
1/2 cup molasses
1 tsp. baking soda
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. saltPreheat oven to 350°F. Spray a Bundt pan really well with nonstick spray.
In a medium saucepan (you need room for the mixture to foam up), combine the stout and molasses over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Set aside until the foam subsides and the mixture cools slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, oil, pumpkin puree and ginger. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt.
Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Add half the molasses mixture, then another third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the molasses mixture and the rest of the dry ingredients, stirring after each addition just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, until the top is springy to the touch. Cool for a few minutes, then invert onto a wire rack while still warm. Cool completely before spreading frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
half an 8 oz. (250 g) pkg. regular or light cream cheese
2-3 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanillaIn a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar, milk and vanilla, beating until the mixture is creamy and well-blended. Add a little more sugar or milk if necessary to achieve a spreadable frosting.
Brown Butter Icing (shown in photo above)
adapted from Martha Stewart4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 4 tablespoons milk (or however much you choose!)In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. You want it to brown of course, which will take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in the sugar (I used a plastic whisk for this), then add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Keep stirring and adding milk a little at a time until the consistency you want is achieved. Pour immediately over the bundt.