5 Easy Recipes with Cake Mix and Canned Pumpkin - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

Can I substitute pumpkin for oil in cake mix? ›

Although canned pumpkin is a good substitute for oil and eggs, it can negatively impact the final product. So, you may need to experiment with proportions until you achieve a satisfying taste and texture.

Boxed cake mixes can take on a lot of extra flavor and a little more liquid, so don't be afraid to add a splash of vanilla or almond extract to a white cake or a little coffee extract to a chocolate cake. Fresh lemon or orange zest is wonderful in a lemon cake and also divine in a yellow or white cake.

Cook It on the Stove

Briefly cooking your canned pumpkin purée on the stove can help improve both the flavor and texture. This method helps reduce excess moisture, which gives the pumpkin a superior texture. It also releases the natural pumpkin flavor and helps reduce the metallic taste from the can.

Canned Pumpkin Delivers Consistent Results

That's because the amount of water in each pumpkin varies. That means your homemade puree can either yield a perfectly lush pumpkin pie from scratch or one that's unpleasant and watery.

SUPERFOOD SWAP

Using nutritious pumpkin instead of eggs, oil and butter is a delicious way to feel good and enjoy the recipes you love.

Aside from giving your baked goods a seasonal touch, pumpkin puree is excellent for replacing eggs. Use 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree for each egg, says Traci Weintraub, chef and founder of Gracefully Fed, a restaurant in Los Angeles.

This is so simple, delicious and will have people begging for your cake. Take any cake mix and just add 4 eggs, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of mayo. ( If it's a chocolate cake pour one shot of espresso into the measuring cup and fill the remainder with water to fill up to one cup. ) Then bake as indicated on the box.

Enhance With Extracts

Pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract are great options, but you could also try lemon extract or orange extract paired with fresh citrus zest. Although more expensive, vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla beans will provide even richer flavor to a boxed mix.

"It's actually a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves." Pumpkin flavoring actually harkens back to the pilgrims, Cundiff says.

Pumpkin is rich in fiber and contains prebiotics, which can help improve digestive system health and bowel movement. It may help relieve constipation and diarrhea in some people. However, if constipation or diarrhea persists, a person should consult a doctor.

What brings out pumpkin Flavour? ›

Pumpkin is notorious for pairing well with warm winter spices – as found in a variety of Moroccan-inspired cuisines. Try incorporating cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cumin and chilli with your pumpkin dishes for flavour-packed feasts.

Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing, and you'll often see the terms used interchangeably in recipes and cookbooks. Unlike pumpkin pie mix, canned pumpkin does not have any spices, sugars, or other additives. In many cases, the only ingredient is pumpkin.

Canned pumpkin offers the same health benefits as fresh pumpkin, making it quick and easy to add pumpkin to recipes year-round. Pumpkin seeds are typically roasted and sold separately as a snack or topping.

Canned pumpkin is full of electrolytes and minerals that support a healthy cardiovascular and immune system, including potassium, magnesium and iron.

Oil: Add Organic Pumpkin Puree in a 1-to-1 ratio for each amount of oil called for. Butter: To substitute for butter, use 3/4 the amount of Organic Pumpkin Puree for each amount of butter, so 3/4 of a tablespoon pumpkin for 1 tablespoon of butter.

Melted, unsalted butter is the perfect substitute for oil, and can even add a richer flavor to baked recipes. Swap in butter for oil in a 1:1 ratio, melting butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Vegan butter or ghee can also work in this instance.

The most common way to replace oil in baked goods is by using applesauce or mashed banana. Other fruit purees work too, but most of them add more flavor – apple and banana are neutral enough to not overpower other flavors.

For oil, the ratio is one to one — one cup oil is simply replaced with one cup pumpkin puree. To substitute pumpkin puree for butter, multiply the amount of butter by 3/4. If a recipe calls for one cup, use 3/4 cup puree in its place. If you're not ready to give up all the butter, consider splitting the bill.