Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

After seeing this pumpkin bundt cake on Cate's blog, I knew it was something I had to make. Fortunately, our supper club for our church met this past Friday, and I was asked to bring dessert! I don't think I've ever been so excited to bring something. After debating other options, I chose this one, and it was perfect! It helped that the night was cool, and the couple's house where we met was decorated for Halloween, so the cake went along with the theme.


It also tasted fantastic. It was very moist, and the glaze added a lot aesthetically. Our rector was there and said if I wanted to get him a Christmas present, he would put in an order for another one of these cakes right now. So, I think it was a hit!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake
source: Cate's Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing bundt pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice (I didn't have any so I used 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cloves) I followed Cate's lead with this substitution.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-oz can; not pie filling)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

For glaze:
2 T butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1-3 T cream or milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour bundt pan. Combine together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl.

Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, then add eggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.

Spoon batter into pan. Shake a few times to be sure to remove any bumps then bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert rack over cake and reinvert cake onto rack. Cool 10 minutes more.

To make glaze, heat butter until melted. Stir in sifted powdered sugar. Mix in cream or milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Drizzle over cake while it is on a wire rack so excess falls through.