Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle

So, we all know what you're supposed to do when life hands you a bowl of lemons.  But, what to do when life hands you a fallen crumb cake and you're supposed to give it as a gift?  If you've been paying attention around here at all, you know I am the queen of the crumb.  I can practically make a crumb cake in my sleep.  I add crumb topping to almost everything.  What on earth is the world coming to when my crumb cake fails??

Crumb Failure

This particular crumb cake was to be gingerbread flavored and the only unusual ingredient was molasses.  I don't know if that's what caused the crumb cave in but I suspect so.  Of course, people make molasses gingerbread cakes all the time but they're usually done in a square or rectangular pan.  I attempted to make it in a large round spring-form and I think that's where it all went wrong.  The thing is...when I say it all went wrong, I just mean the way it looked.  It tasted amazing!  I considered tossing it and remaking it in my square pan but it was way too delicious to toss.  And so I whipped up a lovely little no-bake pumpkin cream and dug out my mason jars.  So perfect for gift giving!  I may have kept one (or two) for myself so I can say for a fact that I managed to turn an odd but tasty cake into an even tastier parfait.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake:
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 Stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon molasses
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
2 Teaspoons cinnamon
1 Teaspoon nutmeg
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt

Crumb Topping:
1/2 Cup sugar
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 Teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Cream:
8 oz. Cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 Cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup frozen whipped topping
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Pinch of salt

To make the crumb topping, combine the sugar, flour, ginger and salt in a bowl.  Stir in the melted butter and let sit while you assemble the rest of the cake.

To make the cake, cream the eggs and sugar together using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer.  Beat in the butter.  Add the vanilla, molasses and sour cream and continue mixing until combined.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Stir the flour mixture into the wet batter and mix.

To assemble the cake, pour the batter into a buttered and floured 9 x 13 baking pan.  In other words, do as I say, not as I did. :)  With your fingers, crumble the crumb topping evenly over the batter and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for approximately 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

While the cake cools, make the pumpkin cream by combining the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, sugar, whipped topping, vanilla and salt in a bowl and mix until completely smooth and all the ingredients are fully incorporated.  Place a large spoonful of the pumpkin cream into the bottom of an 8 oz. jar, cut up the cake into cubes and layer a few over the cream.  Repeat a couple more times and be sure to finish the top with some of the baked crumb mixture.  This amount of cream should give you enough for 4 jars but with enough leftover cake to make 4 more, if you like.

These delectable jars are also my contribution to the collective baking talents of the Holiday Blogging Group.  Be sure to check out the amazing creations from my fellow bakers below!