Sarah's Pumpkin Pancakes and Pumpkin-Pecan Coffee Cake

Over the weekend my little girl turned 4. She wanted a Rainbow Pony Cake- and there it is! It turned out great and was alot of fun. She also wanted Pumpkin Pancakes for her birthday breakfast. I have seen them popping up on blogs all over the place and found a great looking recipe for them over at Sweets by Sarah. I made them with a few changes- I started making Sprinkle Pancakes a few years ago as a way to keep pancake eating a little neater. I add sprinkles to the pancakes after I put them in the pan and then they are sweet enough for kids to eat without any syrup. Not so sticky for mom to clean-up. A definite plus for me. My kids love them.
I also added some pecans to some of the pancakes. I made 2 batches and in one batch did half whole wheat flour, added a little wheat germ and flaxseed meal.
There were so so good!
While on the topic of pumpkin, I saw this yummy little coffee cake at Cooking Light and thought it would be a great way to use the rest of the pumpkin. It was delicious!
Two really great breakfasts!

Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes adapted from Sweets by Sarah

Makes about 12 medium pancakes

1 cup flour ( for 1 of the batches I used 1/2 cup whole wheat and added 1 Tbls wheat germ and 1 Tbls flaxseed meal)

1 T sugar

1 t baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground ginger

1/4 t ground nutmeg

dash of allspice

1/2 c canned pumpkin

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

2 T butter, melted

Whisk together flour (and whole wheat, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, if using), sugar, soda, salt, and spices. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, pumpkin and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together until mostly combined, a few lumps are ok. Let the batter rest for about 15 minutes. Heat a griddle to medium heat and drop about 1/4 of batter for each pancake.

Pumpkin-Pecan Coffee Cake from Cooking Light

1 teaspoon butter

1/4 cup regular oats

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons chopped pecans

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice (I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon, scant 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and a dash of allspice)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan. Combine oats, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and pecans. Sprinkle oat mixture over bottom of pan, and set aside.
Beat 3 tablespoons butter, granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup brown sugar at medium speed of a mixer until mixture is well-blended (about 4 minutes).

Add the egg, and beat well. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the pumpkin and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Spoon batter evenly over oat mixture. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes, and invert cake onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Coming on Halloween- Bakerella's Cake Pops and 2 kinds of chili-