Classic horror films don’t tend to get the love they deserve anymore. With so much mayhem and wow factor constantly hitting the film reel, sometimes it’s easy to forget where all this magic came from. I know I’m guilty at times, but there’s something about the beauty and grace of these old films that when I do “stop and smell the roses” I’m moved way more then most current films have the capability of even on their best days. When you strip Frankenstein down, it’s blatantly obvious to see what bare bones of this film other directors have borrowed in order to build the structure of their own movies. Frankenstein consists of an obsessed scientist who rounds up the leftovers of corpses with the brilliant idea of making a dead object living, and boy do I wish I had a nickel for every time this story line has been regurgitated in a new light over the past 80 decades. I’d be one rich cat lady. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that paying homage is a bad thing. Genres must grow, movies must be made, but at the end of the day as the band H2O says, “Don’t forget your roots”. Now let’s kick of this Thanksgiving Eve with another culinary classic, just done in a modern Cannibal Kitchen kind of way. After all, who doesn’t want to have their cake, AND pie, AND eat all of it too?
FrankenCakes
With most of my deserts I tend to want to see how many items I can realistically pack into one bite with out having flavor competition overkill. FrankenCakes are no different. What I give all you lovely people is a pie crust outside, followed with a layer of pumpkin pie filling on the inside, with a pumpkin cupcake top, and some cream cheese frosting to make the mood just right. IT’S ALIVE!
Pumpkin Cupcake Ingredients:
– 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
– 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
– 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
– 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
– 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, room temperature
– 4 Eggs
– 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
– 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
– 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
– 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Seasoning
– 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
– 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
– 1 Teaspoon Allspice
– 1 Teaspoon Salt
– 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
– 4 Ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature
Directions:
In a medium sized bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and all seasonings. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Next, add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Follow by adding half of the buttermilk, then half the flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk, and remaining flour mixture. Make sure to mix after each of these additions. Add pumpkin puree and cream cheese and mix until just combined. Set aside while you make the pumpkin pie mix.
Pumpkin Pie Ingredients:
– 1 (15oz) Can Pumpkin Puree
– 3 Eggs, Beaten
– 1 Cup Evaporated milk
– 1 Tablespoon ButterMilk
– 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
– 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
– 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
– 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie spice
– 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
– 1 Teaspoon Allspice
– 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
– 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Directions:
In a medium sized bowl beat eggs together. Add both sugars, pumpkin puree, and all seasonings and mix until fully combined. Follow by mixing in the evaporated milk and buttermilk until combined. Set aside.
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
– 1 (8oz) Cream cheese, room temperature
– 1 (1/2) Cup Powdered Sugar
– 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter, room temperature
– 2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Directions:
In a medium sized bowl combine cream cheese and butter. Slightly mix in vanilla extract. Lastly, add powdered sugar in 1/2 Cup increments, and mix after each addition.
General Ingredients:
– 2 Packages of Pie crust or 4 Individual pie crusts ( I use Pillsbury pre-made crusts. They come two to a box and work perfect)
– 2 Large Cupcake Tins
– Cinnamon to Garnish
– Cinnamon Sticks, Cut in half to garnish (Optional)
Directions:
Time to assemble these Frankencakes! Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Roll out each piece of piecrust dough seperatly to work with it and have better control. With a 1 Cup sized measuring cup face down, make a circle in the dough in order to cut out mini pie crusts. Place each one of these mini pie crusts into the cupcake tins as you would liners. Make sure to work the dough to fit into the whole circumfrance of each circle, as pie crust isn’t going to “rise” persay.
Once you have all the cupcake tins lined with pie crust dough, place 2 Tablespoons of pumpkin pie filling into each circle. Place them in the oven and allow to bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove and fill each circle the remainder of the way up with cupcake batter. Feel free to slightly allow it to cover the top of the forming pie crust. As they continue to bake, they will bake together. (I did 2 generous spoonfuls of batter) Return back to the over for another 15-18 minutes. Remove, and allow to cool.
Once the FrankenCakes have fully cooled (about 15 -20 minutes), pipe in a zig zag formation some cream cheese frosting on the top. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and garnish with a cut in half cinnamon stick for some extra flair if your heart desires. Now, be prepared to be the coolest kid at the party.
Makes 24
*Chances are, as I did, you will be left with extra pumpkin pie filling and 1 pie crust. So what’s a sista to do? I used it to make a mini pumpkin pie in a small pie tin. Problem solving abilities.
