Blue Cayenne

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Step 2 Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying with cooking spray. When you line the pan, cut the parchment paper long enough to let two sides hang over the sides of the pan. Use those two longer sides as handles to assist in lifting the finished cake from the pan.
• Step 3 Put flour, baking soda, salt and spices in the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the whisked dry ingredients and then pour in the oil, sugars, pumpkin, coconut milk and vinegar. (I combined these liquid ingredients in a measuring cup, whisked them together and then poured the mixed liquids into the dry ingredients.) Use the beater attachment on your mixer to mix the ingredients until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Step 4 Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F. Your cake is done when the top is a bit puffed and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. I had to bake my cake a bit longer to get the center done. This timing will depend upon your oven.
• Step 5 Remove the cake from the oven. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. I covered my cooled cake with plastic wrap and let it sit for 24 hours before frosting. I found that the cake was more uniformly moist when allowed to rest for a day.
• Step 6 To make the maple buttercream frosting, put soft butter into the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the beater attachment, beat the butter until it is light and airy.
• Step 7 Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 2 C. of powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk and salt. Mix until the ingredients are well combined and moistened. You can adjust the texture of the frosting by adding a bit more milk if needed.