Where do I even begin with this?
Alright, Pumpkin Spice People—I’ve got another recipe to add to your arsenal of ways to get your pumpkin spice fix (please refer to exhibit P here). This one is for you (and at least 8 – 9 others).
I love pumpkin pie, don’t get me wrong, but I it can get a little ho-hum. Even a really good homemade pumpkin pie—I’m going to be that person and say that, no, you’re wrong, that Big Box Store pumpkin pie is not the best around—can leave you with empty, obligatory accomplishment rather than actual satisfaction, like it’s nothing more than another check on a list of things you just have to do. How was that for flip-flopping?
This isn’t really meant to replace pumpkin pie, though. I just needed something a little different. The flavors are all there—that blend of spices that may as well be re-classed as a controlled substance at this point—but the experience is totally different. It’s a Thanksgiving trifle; spiced pound cake slathered in a bourbon syrup between alternating layers of pumpkin custard in a beautifully presented trifle dish.
I make the pound cake for this, defying my usual trifle-making method of using store-bought pound cake. It might sound counter-intuitive to make a homemade pound cake only then to cut it into slices and drench in sugary bourbon and completely cover with custard, and, actually, it is. I have no real legit justification for it other than I felt the need to do some puttering in the kitchen. So that said, feel free to buy a few pound cakes from the store or a bakery and spike the already spiky bourbon syrup with the spices in the cake. If you are going to make the cake yourself just be sure all the ingredients are at room temperature and that you cream to the butter and sugar for a good 5 minutes—there is no chemical levening agent (i.e. baking powder) in a good pound cake so you rely very heavily on the air that is created by beating the butter and sugar together for so long.
I make the pound cake for this, defying my usual trifle-making method of using store-bought pound cake. It might sound counter-intuitive to make a homemade pound cake only then to cut it into slices and drench in sugary bourbon and completely cover with custard, and, actually, it is. I have no real legit justification for it other than I felt the need to do some puttering in the kitchen. So that said, feel free to buy a few pound cakes from the store or a bakery and spike the already spiky bourbon syrup with the spices in the cake. If you are going to make the cake yourself just be sure all the ingredients are at room temperature and that you cream to the butter and sugar for a good 5 minutes—there is no chemical levening agent (i.e. baking powder) in a good pound cake so you rely very heavily on the air that is created by beating the butter and sugar together for so long.
And also… Pumpkin custard. It’s frankly good enough on its own—whip a little cream until it’s soft and billowy and fold it into this before decanting into little serving glasses with buttery, crumbled graham crackers in the bottom a la my pumpkin mousse from a while back… c’mon. Two requirements with this; one being you need to purge the canned pumpkin of access water, which is just to say you spread it out in between multiple layers of paper towel to soak up the moisture, and second being you need to puree it in the blender once it’s all done to make sure it’s perfectly smooth (otherwise it’s a bit like baby food pudding… Gross).
Then it’s just a question of layering; cake, syrup, custard, cake, syrup, custard, and so on. Best of all, it’s has to be made in advance—one more thing to help ease the stress of the big day.
Go on. Give it a try. You’ll be so thankful that you did. See what I did there?
I’m also on BLOGLOVIN’ still. Follow me. It’ll be fun.