Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 5 hr
For pumpkin cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup safflower or canola oil
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree or canned solid-pack pumpkin
For compote
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 lb fresh pumpkin (preferably sugar or cheese pumpkin),
peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
Accompaniment: arrop (Spanish candied pumpkin) syrup*
Garnish: confectioners sugar
Special equipment: an instant-read or candy thermometer;
an ice cream maker; a 3-inch cookie cutter
Make ice cream:
Bring cream, half-and-half, sage, and zest to a boil in a
large heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat
and steep, covered, 10 minutes.
Whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in a
large bowl. Whisk in half of hot cream, then whisk egg
mixture into remaining cream in saucepan. Cook custard
over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden
spoon, until it coats back of spoon and reaches 170°F on
thermometer, about 5 minutes (do not let boil).
Pour custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool,
stirring occasionally. Chill custard, its surface covered
with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 3 hours.
Freeze custard in ice cream maker, then transfer to an
airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan. Line
bottom with wax or parchment paper, then butter paper.
Sift together flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda,
and salt. Whisk together brown sugar and eggs in a large
bowl, then whisk in oil and pumpkin purée. 3Add flour
mixture and whisk just until smooth. Pour batter into
baking pan and bake in middle of oven until springy to the
touch and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25
to 30 minutes.
Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife
around edge and invert onto rack. Peel off paper and cool
cake completely.
Make compote:
Soak cherries in hot water to cover until softened, about
15 minutes, then drain.
Melt butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add
sugars, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt, then cook,
stirring until smooth. Add pumpkin and drained cherries
and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until pumpkin
is tender, 8 to 12 minutes.
Assemble dessert:
Cut out 12 (3-inch) rounds from cake with cutter. Halve
each round horizontally, then put bottom halves on 12
plates and top with scoops of ice cream. Spoon compote on
and around cakes, then tilt tops against ice cream.
Cooks' notes:
• To cool custard quickly after straining, set bowl in a
larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir until chilled.
• Custard can be chilled up to 24 hours before making
ice cream.
• Pumpkin cake and sage ice cream keep, frozen
separately, 1 month. Wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap and
foil. Thaw cake (in wrapping) at room temperature.
* Available in some Latin markets and Tienda
(888-472-1022).
