Drum Roll Please-Big News and a Fall Cake

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Today was a very fine day for us to take a walk to the mailbox and check out some leaf colors.  

Mrs. S thought it was a perfect day to bake a Pumpkin, Gingerbread, Cranberry Coffee Cake. The smells coming from the kitchen left me hoping I'd get a piece but instead I got a healthy but a very tasty treat Peanut Butter Dental Twists. 

Pumpkin, Gingerbread, Cranberry Coffee Cake 
Cook's notes: A coffee cake filled with fall flavors, pumpkin, cranberries and cinnamon. The unusual mix of ingredients intrigued me on this recipe. The cake is dense, flavorful and goes perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. The tart yet sweetness of the cranberries adds the perfect touch to this cake. 
Recipe adapted from BHG Fall Baking 2015.
Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat 
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground Saigon/Vietnamese cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. apple pie spice mix  
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1-15 oz. can pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling
• 2 large eggs
•  1/3 cup mild flavored molasses
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
• In a large bowl stir together the first 9 ingredients through pepper.
• Use a pastry blender to cut in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Remove 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture and set aside for topping.
• In another bowl whisk next 5 ingredients through baking soda and mix well. Add pumpkin mixture and cranberries to remaining crumb mixture.  Stir until just moistened. Spread batter in pan.
• Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture and bake 45-50 minutes or until a long skewer comes out clean. 
• Cool gingerbread in pan on a wire rack, cool 30 minutes.
• Remove sides of pan and frost cake or drizzle with icing.
• Refrigerate to set frosting 15 minutes.

Frosting:

• Beat 3 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 TB softened butter, a few sprinkles of cinnamon and 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar. Add enough milk to get the right icing consistency. Optional adding crushed walnuts.  

Bon Appetit!