Pumpkin Blondie Cake

Ingredients

Ingredients with an * are listed more than once.

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/8 cups all purpose flour (2 tablespoons) *
• 1/8 cups brown sugar (2 tablespoon) *
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg , grated *
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt *
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened *
• 2 ounces white chocolate , chopped into 1/4" pieces *
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 4 ounces white chocolate , chopped *
• 2 cups all purpose flour (9 ounces) *
• 3 tablespoons malted milk powder (optional)
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar packed (10 ounces) *
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (5 ounces), softened, but not too warm *
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt *
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg , grated *
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 eggs

Directions

• Gather and prep ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°, and move a rack to the middle position.
  
• Line a 9" square metal baking dish with a strip of aluminum foil that is folded to fit inside of 9". It should be long enough to have an overhang that you can use to remove the cake after baking and cooling. Spray the pan with vegetable spray. NOTE: The original recipe was made in a 10" cast iron pan, which is another option. You can skip the foil if using a round pan, just make sure to butter than pan generously. Metal pans are better than glass. If you are not using 9" square metal pan, your baking time may be different than mine.
  
• Mix together the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  
• Add the softened butter to the mixture and mix until the topping forms clumps and butter is distributed throughout. This will take a minute or so. The softer your butter is the quicker it will go.
  
• Add the white chocolate and mix together. Transfer mixture to a bowl or baggie to save until needed. (You can do this step ahead if you refrigerate the mixture.) You will be using the bowl for the mixer again later, so it does not need to be cleaned yet.
  
• Cook the pumpkin in a small skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. This will reduce the moisture/water and enhance the pumpkin flavor. The amount of pumpkin after this step should be closer to 1/2 cup. You could skip this step and just use 1/2 cup of pumpkin straight out of the can if you are short on time. Remove the pumpkin to a small bowl (or reuse your measuring cup) so that it can cool.
  
• In a food processor process the flour, white chocolate and malted milk powder until the chocolate is ground down to a powder. If you don't have a food processor, you could grate the white chocolate on a microplane or rasp grater and whisk it with the flour and milk powder instead.
  
• In the bowl of the stand mixer add the brown sugar, butter, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and vanilla. Mix on a low speed for about one minute to moisten.
  
• Increase speed to medium and mix for 8 minutes. The mixture should be pale and fluffy when done. Scrape the bowl once or twice during this time to make sure all parts are getting combined evenly.
  
• Add the egg and mix on medium speed until smooth, another minute or two.
  
• Add the reduced pumpkin puree and mix on low.
  
• Add the flour and white chocolate mixture and mix on low. The batter will be thick. Mix with a spatula once or twice to make sure everything is incorporated.
  
• Spread the cake batter in the pan and smooth out with a spatula.
  
• Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. Bake on middle rack in a 350° oven. Bake for 35–50 minutes until cake is puffed, browned and a thermometer reaches 205° in the center. If you don't have a thermometer, check for doneness with a toothpick or skewer.
  
• Remove the cake when done and cool to room temperature. Do not try eating this cake when too warm because it will be too soft and gooey. Cut into pieces and serve. Leftovers should be fine for a few days, but I always wrap any leftovers as individual pieces and store in the freezer.