The Icing on the Lake
Fall means pumpkins — and baked goods
After obtaining a master’s degree in counseling, Heidi Fette worked in the field for 13 years before deciding she needed a change. “One of my first jobs when I was 15 was at a local bakery that I rode my bike down to,” she says. “I learned how to bake there, and ever since then I really loved baking. I love the product and I love eating the product. Who doesn’t like to get something right out of the oven?”
Two years ago, she opened her own bakery, Icing on the Lake, with the help of her husband, John. The bakery’s name came from him. “It brought baking and our awesome lake together,” she says. “It was the first one on his list, and when I saw it, I knew it was just perfect.”
This time of year is Fette’s favorite. “I love the color change, the smell of burning leaves, the coolness in the air and the fall flavors,” she says. “They lend themselves to such wonderful baked creations. Hot coffee or hot cider with baked goods makes a perfect day.”
She loves experimenting with the flavors, especially pumpkin, to create combinations that are different, but fantastic. Most people pair pumpkin only with cream cheese, but Fette tries to come up with new combinations. “We’ve done a salted caramel frosting,” she says, “and pumpkin and chocolate go really well together.”
Icing on the Lake celebrates its third fall with a variety of cakes, cupcakes, cookies, cheesecake, cake pops, breads, pies and even dog treats — all inspired by pumpkin. “People love pumpkin and people love fall,” she says, “so anything we can do with pumpkin we do.”
Fette’s favorite indulgence is her own creation, pumpkin pie with a walnut and pecan crumble. “It’s to die for,” she says. “I don’t like plain pumpkin pie — that wouldn’t be something I would make or pick for myself,” she says.
Then there is the pumpkin cookie, with its cake-like texture and homemade brown-sugar glaze. The pumpkin cheesecake is put on a stick and dipped in chocolate, and her pumpkin bread is combined with an abundance of chocolate chips.
Although Fette uses canned pumpkin, she plans to experiment with the real thing this fall, steaming or roasting pumpkin to make it into a puree, which can be used immediately or frozen. “It’s a little time-consuming, but I think the flavor might even be that much better,” she says.
“The thing about pumpkin is it makes things so moist, especially when baking from scratch,” she says. “I also love the idea of roasting seeds and incorporating them into some type of muffin or scone.”
Fette says pursuing baking was the best decision she ever made, and it’s always felt right to her. “It’s just so much fun to bake, and then to be able to see how happy people get when they eat your product,” she says. “It has always brought me so much joy to bake for others.”
Heidi Fette’s Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 cups canned pumpkin puree or cooked, mashed pumpkin
Mix sugar, oil, and eggs in large mixing bowl. Sift dry ingredients into separate bowl. Stir into oil mixture, beating well. Stir in pumpkin puree. Bake in lined cupcake pans for approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1⁄4 cup butter
8 ouncs package cream cheese,
room temperature
1 pound of confectiones’s sugar, sifted 2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat all ingredients until smooth and
frost cupcakes.
Two years ago, she opened her own bakery, Icing on the Lake, with the help of her husband, John. The bakery’s name came from him. “It brought baking and our awesome lake together,” she says. “It was the first one on his list, and when I saw it, I knew it was just perfect.”
This time of year is Fette’s favorite. “I love the color change, the smell of burning leaves, the coolness in the air and the fall flavors,” she says. “They lend themselves to such wonderful baked creations. Hot coffee or hot cider with baked goods makes a perfect day.”
She loves experimenting with the flavors, especially pumpkin, to create combinations that are different, but fantastic. Most people pair pumpkin only with cream cheese, but Fette tries to come up with new combinations. “We’ve done a salted caramel frosting,” she says, “and pumpkin and chocolate go really well together.”
Icing on the Lake celebrates its third fall with a variety of cakes, cupcakes, cookies, cheesecake, cake pops, breads, pies and even dog treats — all inspired by pumpkin. “People love pumpkin and people love fall,” she says, “so anything we can do with pumpkin we do.”
Fette’s favorite indulgence is her own creation, pumpkin pie with a walnut and pecan crumble. “It’s to die for,” she says. “I don’t like plain pumpkin pie — that wouldn’t be something I would make or pick for myself,” she says.
Then there is the pumpkin cookie, with its cake-like texture and homemade brown-sugar glaze. The pumpkin cheesecake is put on a stick and dipped in chocolate, and her pumpkin bread is combined with an abundance of chocolate chips.
Although Fette uses canned pumpkin, she plans to experiment with the real thing this fall, steaming or roasting pumpkin to make it into a puree, which can be used immediately or frozen. “It’s a little time-consuming, but I think the flavor might even be that much better,” she says.
“The thing about pumpkin is it makes things so moist, especially when baking from scratch,” she says. “I also love the idea of roasting seeds and incorporating them into some type of muffin or scone.”
Fette says pursuing baking was the best decision she ever made, and it’s always felt right to her. “It’s just so much fun to bake, and then to be able to see how happy people get when they eat your product,” she says. “It has always brought me so much joy to bake for others.”
Heidi Fette’s Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 cups canned pumpkin puree or cooked, mashed pumpkin
Mix sugar, oil, and eggs in large mixing bowl. Sift dry ingredients into separate bowl. Stir into oil mixture, beating well. Stir in pumpkin puree. Bake in lined cupcake pans for approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1⁄4 cup butter
8 ouncs package cream cheese,
room temperature
1 pound of confectiones’s sugar, sifted 2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat all ingredients until smooth and
frost cupcakes.
Story:
Caitlyn Callahan
Sept/Oct 2013