Some have asked if a pumpkin is a fruit or vegetable?
A pumpkin, according to The Botanical Society of America, is a fruit because it’s a product of the seed-bearing structure of flowering plants.
Vegetables, on the other hand, are the edible portion of plants such as leaves, stems, roots, bullbs, flowers, and tubers.
Simply put, a fruit contains its seeds, were as vegetable has no seeds.
How The Pumpkin Got It’s Name
The word pumpkin originates from the Greek word pepon, which means “large melon”, something round and large.
The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later the American colonists adapted the word pumpkin.
Try Some Mexican Desserts to Satisfy Any Sweet Tooth
Pumpkin Pecan Coconut Cake with Cardamom Whipped Cream
Spices are an essential ingredient for fall baking, especially pumpkin pie spice.
This dessert cake though, is not your typical pumpkin spice cake.
The cake contains coconut, which plays off the pumpkin in texture and flavor beautifully.
The pumpkin cake is also topped with whipped heavy cream incorporated with cardamom and sweet shredded coconut,
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup shredded coconut
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 large eggs
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup pecans, chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, coconut, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
In a separate large bowl, add eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin puree and beat with an electric mixer until well combined.
Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat on low until just combined. Stir in chopped nuts and spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake until center has set, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Slice and serve topped with fresh whipped cream.
For The Coconut an Pecan Lovers: Coconut Pecan Sugar Cookies
Topping: Fresh Whipped Cream with Cardamom
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
Place a large metal bowl with an electric stand or hand beater whipper attachment into the freezer, about 10 minutes.
Bowl and whipper along with cream need to be cold, so that the cream whips up fast.
A room temperature bowl and whipper attachment will take longer to whip up the cream.
Add heavy cream to cold bowl. Whip until lite peaks form.
Add powered sugar, cardamom, and coconut. Continue with whipping to incorporate. Whip until picks are firm.
Top whipped cream over s slice of pumpkin cake. Save leftover whipped cream in the refrigerator in an air tight container. Use within 5 days.