tis the season to cook and bake with pumpkin. yes, the recipes for all things orange have taken over the foodie blogosphere. it’s literally pumpkin, squash and sweet potato mania. so after just recently seeing someone do a lovely version of a pumpkin bundt cake that i later spotted on ‘epicurious‘, i knew i wanted to do something a bit more along the lines of “this isn’t your grandma’s pumpkin cake anymore”. you see i was watching ‘the next iron chef‘ marathon, so the potential of this innocent recipe becoming quasi radical and innovative was exponentially increasing per episode and totally driving the way this cake was going to go down.
but i am if nothing else, a realist. so in staying within the confines of what is viable in my world of cooking, i present to you:
a very spiced pumkin cake with ginger icing
heavily adapted from the november 2005 gourmet recipe found on epicurious with various inspirations coming from the comments
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can of solid-pack pumpkin -15 oz. can
about 3 T honey
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
about 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
some buttermilk - like 2-3 tablespoons
ginger preserves - like 2 big tablespoons
about 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan, buttered and floured - and a preheated oven set to 350
please note: i took some serious license with the instructions. this was not a fine, flakey french pastry that needed to be carefully handled. this was more of a peasanty kind of cake that i figured could withstand a little ‘one mixing bowl’ abuse.
so first, into the electric mixer went the softened butter and sugar. that got creamed for about 3 minutes. then i added the eggs and mixed for another minute or so. next up was the buttermilk and then the vanilla and honey. after that the can of pumpkin, all the while mixing in between additions. then the flours and baking powder and soda. i alternated these to try and get an even batter without sifting. and then lastly, i added the walnuts and all the spices and salt.
one bowl. it can be done. i put the batter in the pan and placed it on the middle rack. i’ve got a convection oven and 45 minutes was about right.
while that was baking i put the buttermilk, preserves and sugar into my vitamix - a powerful blender, because i am relatively lazy and the ginger pieces were chunky. this worked like a charm giving me a smooth sugary glaze. it really turned out well.
after the cake came out of the oven, depanned and still warm - i drizzled with the icing. when the cake cooled down a bit more, i drizzled again.
and now that it’s been borne of a need to blog, (NaMoBloMo? someone out there explain to me why we’re doing this? please?) it needs to get adopted. i need to give this cake away. but you see, it’s not for the faint of heart. it’s for the kind of person who demands a bit more from their pumpkin cake. this is no light and fluffy, buttery little tea cake. you could slice this up and serve it with a double espresso or a cognac - and it’d hold its own just fine.
i like my cake like i like my men…
18 responses so far ↓
1 Summer // Nov 12, 2007 at 8:18 pm
If I lived closer I’d come over and take some off of your hands. Looks delicious!!!
2 Lucy.R.E. // Nov 12, 2007 at 11:06 pm
looks yummm.
i’ve been thinking about nablopomo and why i originally thought it was a good idea. my reasons are based primarily on the fact that i used to write on a regular basis, and if i force myself to do it everyday again, then it’ll become habit and i won’t feel like a rusty old writing tin man anymore.
but that’s just me
3 Mary Coleman // Nov 13, 2007 at 5:44 am
You made this cake and you are not going to eat it!
Say it isn’t so. This is gorgeous. If you can’t find this cake a home, let me know. Groom will be happy to come by and take it off your hands!
4 anni // Nov 13, 2007 at 7:27 am
I’d like some, please. I am particularly excited about the icing (!!!!) I have no business eating your cake any more than I do eating my own, but if I took some of yours off your hands, I could tell myself that I was helping someone, or being kind and gracious. Who knew that compassion and could be such potent fuel for consuming butter and sugar?! (Although both Mother Therese and Albert Schweitzer were quite slender).
5 Annie // Nov 13, 2007 at 7:29 am
Bu the way, I haven’t “gone Finnish” in the post above, I just lopped off my “e.” Its too bad, because I really, really like Marimekko prints.
6 TaratheFoodie // Nov 13, 2007 at 7:50 am
You know, I have a bundt pan - actually it’s a bundt STONE. You know, from Pampered Chef? I just heard the room of foodie blog readers fill with quiet little gasps at the mention of PC. haha… Well, just know that it was purchased many many years ago, before I realized that it was nothing but a waste of money. Anyhow, I’ve never used the darn thing. Maybe I should. You’ve inspired me to think about it at least.
7 Colleen // Nov 13, 2007 at 7:53 am
OMG, that looks good. I can actually smell the pumpkin. Do you think a low-sugar/Splenda version would work very well?
8 klinde // Nov 13, 2007 at 8:38 am
I think I may take this one on myself….
Line of the day: “I like my cake like I like my men”… Classic!
9 Lesley // Nov 13, 2007 at 8:58 am
i like my cake like i like my men…
Orange and moist and a little nutty?
(I think I see nuts in the cake, but not in the recipe; I could be wrong–I might need a new monitor.)
10 claudia // Nov 13, 2007 at 9:09 am
lesley - you are SO right! i totally forgot to add those to the recipe. so i edited them in.
hey y’all - THERE ARE WALNUTS IN THIS THING !!!
phew…
11 claudia // Nov 13, 2007 at 9:43 am
cake update…
ok - i had a very little piece (i’m only so strong and i had to try it, right?)
cary’s had 3 slices so far
louis, his son had 1
angela took 2 big slices home with her yesterday
and tonight i have a dinner guest and i’m sending her home with the rest…
the management at ceF wants to thank you for your offers to adopt said cake. but somehow we’ve fostered out the slices quite nicely.
and colleen - as far as splenda… i guess so - but i just don’t know. if you try it, please report back!
tara? a stone bundt? what on earth is that?
12 Dan // Nov 13, 2007 at 9:46 am
I think I can spring for overnight shipping to Charly-West. And as there is presently no cake in my apartment, this one would definitely receive a place of honor on the counter…for three seconds before it was gobbled.
13 Dana // Nov 13, 2007 at 11:02 am
Haha, like you like your men — spicy and a little nutty, eh? Love it.
14 FieDog // Nov 13, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Man!
Awesome. Can I still use that word….. No , I guess not.
Really beautiful. Gorgeous.
I can taste it through the picture!
15 pee dubya // Nov 13, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Ginger icing???
YUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16 Tarathe Foodie // Nov 14, 2007 at 10:56 am
You’ve seen pizza stones before, right? Well, it’s a bundt pan made of the same type of stone. It’s actually next to impossible to burn something you’re baking if you’re using stone.
17 Dr. Lita // Nov 24, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Claudia………..you are unbelievable………..everything is fabulous and delicious.
Love you always
lllllllllita
18 cook eat FRET - babbo’s pumpkin cake // Nov 17, 2008 at 10:23 am
[...] face it - once a year we all go pumpkin crazy and really, it’s a good thing. all the baked goods - from pies to muffins to cheesecakes and breads, pumpkin concoctions stuffed into various shaped [...]
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