Ready for Fall?

Elise Grimland, Staff Writer
October 15, 2019

Fall has arrived! The sweltering days of summer have been replaced with the crazy temperature swings of a Texas fall. Here are a few recipes and DIYs to help you get into the mood for cooler weather. 

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Who doesn’t love pumpkin spice? This pumpkin sheet cake is the perfect dessert for Halloween and Thanksgiving parties alike. This recipe is my Granny’s and is always a favorite in the cooler months. 

Pumpkin Cake:

  • 16 oz can of pumpkin
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil together. Add eggs and mix well. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to pumpkin mixture. Beat well until blended. Pour batter into a greased 13 x 9 in baking pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 5 Tbsp butter, softened
  • 3 oz cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tsp milk

Beat butter and cream cheese together. Add vanilla and blend until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar. Mix well. Add milk a bit at a time until the frosting has a spreadable consistency. 

Tips:

  1. Make sure your cake has cooled completely before frosting it.
  2. Sprinkle pecans on top for some extra crunch.
  3. Use the batter to make some delicious pumpkin muffins.

Crock-pot Mulled Apple Cider

Apple cider is a staple in the autumn months, and is the perfect beverage to warm you up. Use this recipe to spice up pre-made cider from the grocery store.

Mulled Apple Cider:

  • 6 cups apple cider
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 6 whole allspice berries

Additional materials:

  • Crock-pot
  • Cheese cloth
  • Thread

Pour the apple cider in a crock-pot. Add in cinnamon sticks. Take a small square of cheesecloth and place the remaining spices in the center. Grab the corners and tie off the bundle with thread. Place the spice bundle in the cider and turn your crock-pot on high. In a couple hours, your cider will be ready, and your house will be smelling like fall. 

Pumpkin Ideas

The appearance of pumpkins at stores is synonymous with the beginning of the fall season, with pumpkin carving being a fun Halloween activity. This year, you can carve your pumpkins traditionally, or paint them. Painting and decorating pumpkins is a fun alternative that allows you to showcase your creativity, as well as helps your pumpkins to last longer than if you had carved them. Here are some fun decorated pumpkins to get your creativity flowing.

All photos courtesy or Google images.