Page 214 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

196 S H E E T C A K E S

Toasting Nuts

f you have a few extra minutes, Almonds: Whole, about 10 minutes;
Itoasting nuts really brings out their slivered, 2 to 3 minutes, until light brown.
flavor. Begin with a 350°F oven. Spread the Hazelnuts (filberts): 20 minutes; rub
nuts out in one layer in a baking pan and off the skins with a clean kitchen towel
place in the oven. Stir once or twice with a while the nuts are warm.
metal spatula or long wooden spoon while Macadamia nuts: 8 minutes, or until
they are toasting. Remove the nuts just golden brown.
when you smell the sweet toasty aroma and Pecans: 4 to 5 minutes, or until deep
before their color deepens too much. Take brown.
care not to overcook chopped nuts; they Walnuts: 10 minutes, or until golden
take less time to toast than whole nuts. brown.

1 ⁄2 cup chopped toasted pecans out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan
in the oven.
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven
3. Bake the cake until it springs back
and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly
when lightly pressed with your finger, 35 to
mist a 13- by 9-inch pan with vegetable oil
40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven
spray. Set the pan aside.
and cool it on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
2. Place the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs,
4. Meanwhile, prepare the Cinnamon-
cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low
speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and 5. Spread the frosting over the cake in the
scrape down the sides of the bowl with a pan with smooth, clean strokes. Sprinkle
rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed the pecans over the top.
to medium and beat 2 minutes more,
To make slicing easier, store this cake,
scraping the sides down again if needed.
lightly covered with waxed paper, in the
The batter will be thick and should look
refrigerator until the frosting sets, 1 hour.
well combined. Fold in the cinnamon
Then wrap it in aluminum foil and store in
chips until well distributed. Pour the bat-
the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze
ter into the prepared pan, smoothing it
it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months.