This super simple Mini Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting and homemade candied walnuts is the perfect easy fall dessert to share with a couple friends.
It’s technically still summer, but I don’t care. I’m in full-on pumpkin mode now. Can’t stop this pumpkin train. I shared a small batch of Pumpkin Cupcakes a couple weeks ago, Cinnamon Sugar Baked Pumpkin Donuts last week, and today, I have a Mini Pumpkin Cake for you because you can never ever ever have enough pumpkin.
Folks, you have to make this cake this fall. It’s so soft and fluffy and pumpkiny and moist, and topped with my favorite cream cheese frosting, AKA THE BEST Cream Cheese Frosting. And since a cake this good deserves something pretty to garnish it, I added candied walnuts.
I don’t even like nuts usually, but these are soooooooo good. They’re crunchy, sugary, and so easy to make. You just need five minutes, a nonstick pan, and a little butter and sugar. The sugar melts and gets all gooey and caramelly and coats the walnuts in a crunchy candy shell when it cools. Served over the cake (or stolen by the handful), they are just fabulous.
This Mini Pumpkin Cake is baked in a 7×5-inch dish ( rectangular 3-cup Pyrex containers are perfect for this) and will make four very generous servings or six smaller ones. If you’re looking for a great-tasting low-stress fall dessert, I can’t recommend this cake enough.
It’s a cinch to throw together and can be on the table in about an hour, including the hands-off baking and cooling time. Plus, the candied walnuts on top fancy it up just enough that it looks like something that took 10 times the effort. And no one needs to know just how easy it actually was. 😉
More Fall Recipes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ 7x5-inch baking dish
Pumpkin Cake
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 60g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 1/3 cup ( 66g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- ▢ 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons ( 111g ) canned pumpkin puree
Candied Walnuts
- ▢ 1 cup walnut halves or pieces
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 1/2oz ) butter if using unsalted, add a pinch of salt
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 50g ) granulated sugar
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ▢ 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- ▢ 4 tablespoons ( 2oz ) unsalted butter softened
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 2/3 cup ( 80g ) powdered sugar sifted
- ▢ Pinch of salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 7x5-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper*.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin puree until very smooth. Whisk in flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few wet crumbs and when gently pressed, the top of the cake springs back.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Candied Walnuts
- While your cake is cooling, make the candied walnuts. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter along with an extra spatula or fork (you’ll need it to separate the nuts later).
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts, butter, and sugar. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often (don’t leave unattended), until sugar is completely melted and a light amber and nuts are coated. Turn out walnuts on to prepared parchment paper, scraping all the sugar out onto the nuts. Use the two spatulas to separate the nuts into a single layer, scraping the cooling sugar on to them as you go. Be VERY careful with the hot sugar so you don’t burn yourself!
- Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then break the nuts apart.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and salt and beat until well-combined.
- Spread over cooled cake and pile cooled candied walnuts on top.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Cake adapted from AllRecipes Candied Walnuts adapted from Natasha’s Kitchen
Making Tri-tip in the oven is SO easy and delicious and a total crowd-pleaser.
Sometimes when I’m developing recipes, I have to do quite a bit of testing so I end up eating A LOT of that recipe (remember all those test batches of Freezer Meatballs ? I’m still happily eating my way through them).
This was another recipe I tested a bunch before making it for the site, and despite the fact that I’ve eaten more tri-tip in the last two months than I have in the last two years, it’s so good that I’m already thinking about making it again this weekend.
Tri-tip is one of those cuts of meat that is usually prepared on the BBQ, but as I’ve said before, I’m not much of a grill master. Most of my life I’ve made tri-tip in the slow cooker , and it’s pretty killer that way, especially for BBQ sandwiches, but recently, I’ve been enjoying making tri-tip in the oven, because It. Is. Amazing.
Starting tri-tip on the stove and finishing it in the oven, you get super moist and flavorful meat and that gorgeous, crispy charred exterior, all without having to step foot outside or get near a BBQ.
Seriously, as soon as you cut into the roast, you will want to start grabbing pieces to eat. I don’t usually eat while I’m shooting photos, but I’m not going to lie, I totally stopped for a snack halfway through this shoot. 😉
I grew up eating tri-tip, but when I was writing my last tri-tip recipe post, I learned that it’s actually not such a popular cut of meat around the world. So if you’re reading this going what the heck is tri-tip?, read on.
What is Tri-tip?
Tri-tip is a 1.5 to 2.5-pound, triangular-shaped cut of meat that comes from the bottom of the sirloin. It’s most popular in California and on the West Coast, but it is growing in popularity around the country.
You might find it under alternate names like “The California Cut” or “Bottom Sirloin Tip” or “Triangle Roast” (why so many names for tri-tip??).
One tri-tip will serve 4 to 6 people depending on its size and the appetite of your guests, and because of its shape, is great if you are feeding people who like different levels of doneness in their meat because the thinner end will cook quicker than the center.
Untrimmed vs Trimmed Tri-tip
Tri-tip is sold as either untrimmed or trimmed. Untrimmed tri-tip has a nice layer of fat on one side (sometimes both sides). Trimmed tri-tip will have this removed.
I like trimmed tri-tip roasts when I am cooking them in the slow cooker, but for roasting, I prefer untrimmed as the fat helps keep the meat nice and moist.
On rare occasions, I will get a tri-tip that is untrimmed on both sides. If that happens to you, you’ll want to trim one side. One side of the tri-tip will have a thick, pretty even fat cap. That’s the side you want to keep. The other side will be irregular with some muscle showing through. That’s the side you’ll want to trim.
Just use a very sharp knife to slice off the fat and any silver skin (the thin bluish, silvery membrane that sticks tightly to the meat). It doesn’t have to be pretty! You can see the hack job I did on my tri-tip below.) 🙂
Okay, with that little tri-tip lesson out of the way, are you ready to see how easy it is to cook in the oven? (Scroll all the way down for the full recipe.)
How to cook tri-tip in the oven:
- Rub tri-tip with your favorite seasoning salt.
- Heat oil in an oven-safe pan and sear the tri-tip, fat-side down.
- Flip tri-tip and pop it in the oven.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes per pound.
- Allow roast to rest for 10 minutes, and done!
How easy is that? This has seriously become one of my go-to dinners for nights I know I’m going to be tired and not want to cook, because even though there are 20 to 40 minutes of oven time, the effort is minimal and the results are sooooooo good.
The meat is fabulous if you want to build a tri-tip sandwich, but usually, I eat it exactly as is, maybe with a little macaroni salad , broccoli , or green beans as a side.
Tri-tip Recipe Notes
- If cooking more than one tri-tip roast at a time, just make sure they’re not touching in the oven pan so there’s plenty of room for air to circulate. Cook for the recommended time based off the smallest roast. You may have to pull one roast out sooner than the other, and cooking time will probably be slightly longer, particularly if roasts are crowded together or you have to open the oven multiple times to check temperatures.
- Looking for more meaty main dishes? Try (my favorite) Crispy Carnitas and Country-style Ribs .
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Large oven-safe skillet
- ▢ Instant-read thermometer
Tri-tip
- ▢ 1 untrimmed tri-tip*
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ Seasoning salt*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Trim any silver skin from the bottom of the tri-tip and sprinkle the entire thing with seasoning salt, gently rubbing it into the surface.
- On the stove, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe skillet. Once oil is hot place tri-tip, fat-side down, in the pan. Cook for 4 minutes, or until well-seared. Flip meat and place pan in the oven.
- Roast for 10 to 15 minutes per pound (start checking the internal temp at about 20 minutes for a medium-sized roast). Cook until internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat reads 135°F for medium-rare to 145° for medium (the roast in the photos was pulled at 145°F). Tent with foil to keep warm and allow meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Slice roast against the grain by cutting it in half at the center point and then across the grain on each end and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Adapted from The New York Times
You will love these Small-batch Apple Pie Bars with their buttery shortbread base, gooey apple cinnamon center, and crunchy streusel topping.
Last year around this time, I shared these Small-batch Pumpkin Shortbread Bars , and I love that recipe, but I’ve been dreaming about an apple version ever since. So today, that’s what I’m sharing: Small-batch Apple Pie Bars!
These bars turned out to be everything I wanted and more. On the bottom layer, you have a buttery beautiful shortbread layer. Over that is a slightly gooey center of diced apple, cinnamon, sugar, and a little lemon juice to brighten everything up. And on the very top is a crunchy streusel topping.
Lots and lots and lots of streusel topping.
This recipe is made in a 7×5-inch dish (as usual, I used a rectangular 3-cup Pyrex dish ) and makes 6 very generous squares or 8 smaller ones. You could also cut them super small and make cute Apple Pie Bites.
The bars are a tiny bit more labor intensive than some of my other fall recipes, but I think the finished product is well worth it, and none of the steps are difficult.
The shortbread base is your classic easy shortbread recipe, and the worst thing about the apple layer is that you have to peel an apple. Then after you get your hands a little dirty mixing up the crumble, you get to enjoy the amazing way your house will smell while everything bakes together.
If you’re craving pie, these bars hit all those Dutch Apple Pie sweet spots without requiring you to mess with pie dough. AND they have a higher ratio of sweet crunchy stuff to fruit than pie, so in my book, that’s major selling point for going the easy route and making these apple pie bars instead of a full pie.
Leftovers from these bars got boxed up and distributed FAST because when faced with a plateful of these squares, you kind of just want to slink back into the shadows with the whole thing and refuse to share with anyone.
My dad was one of the recipients of the leftover bars and he declared them the best apple bars he’s ever had . He’s also been known to tell me that things I’ve cooked for him are the worst things he’s ever eaten, so when he pays something a compliment, you know he’s telling the truth. 😉
More Fall Recipes
- Dutch Apple Galette for Two
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Shortbread
- Apple Crumb Muffins
- Small-batch Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ 7x5-inch baking dish
Shortbread Base
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 2oz ) unsalted butter softened
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 30g ) powdered sugar
- ▢ 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ( 17g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ▢ 1/2 cup (60g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
Apple Layer
- ▢ 1 large Granny Smith apple peeled and diced 1/4 inch
- ▢ 2 teaspoons ( 8g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 2 teaspoons ( 5g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice optional
Brown Sugar Streusel
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 30g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 38g ) brown sugar
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 1oz ) unsalted butter softened
Instructions
Shortbread Base
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 7x5-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper (parchment paper is optional, but it’s nice to be able to lift the bars out of the dish to cut them).
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour and salt, and beat until well mixed.
- Turn mixture out into your prepared baking dish and press into an even layer. Bake for 18 to 21 minutes, until lightly browned.
Apple Layer
- While your shortbread bakes, combine diced apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir together and set aside.
Brown Sugar Streusel
- In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and butter, and use a fork or your fingers to mix until the mixture begins to clump and crumbs form. Place streusel in the refrigerator until the timer goes off.
- Once the shortbread is lightly golden, remove from the oven and spread the apples over the top. Remove streusel from the fridge and drop in crumbles over the apples. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until streusel is lightly browned and apple filling is bubbling slightly.
- Cool completely before cutting and enjoy!
Notes
Mini Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- 7x5-inch baking dish
Pumpkin Cake
- 1/2 cup ( 60g ) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup ( 66g ) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons ( 111g ) canned pumpkin puree
Candied Walnuts
- 1 cup walnut halves or pieces
- 1 tablespoon ( 1/2oz ) butter if using unsalted, add a pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup ( 50g ) granulated sugar
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons ( 2oz ) unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup ( 80g ) powdered sugar sifted
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 7x5-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper*.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin puree until very smooth. Whisk in flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few wet crumbs and when gently pressed, the top of the cake springs back.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Candied Walnuts
- While your cake is cooling, make the candied walnuts. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter along with an extra spatula or fork (you’ll need it to separate the nuts later).
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts, butter, and sugar. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often (don’t leave unattended), until sugar is completely melted and a light amber and nuts are coated. Turn out walnuts on to prepared parchment paper, scraping all the sugar out onto the nuts. Use the two spatulas to separate the nuts into a single layer, scraping the cooling sugar on to them as you go. Be VERY careful with the hot sugar so you don’t burn yourself!
- Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then break the nuts apart.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and salt and beat until well-combined.
- Spread over cooled cake and pile cooled candied walnuts on top.
- Enjoy!
