Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Just in time for Halloween and the holiday season, this festive bundt cake was a huge hit with my family. Personally, pumpkin flavored foods are not my cup of tea, but I found myself drawn to idea of doing some pumpkin baking and giving the gourd another try. I'm so glad I did! I used the recipe below, which I adapted slightly from a recipe that appeared in Epicurious in October 2007. I also added a light glaze consisting of icing sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and milk, to the cooled cake.

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or mace

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup canola or light olive oil

5 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin

2/3 cup orange juice, milk, or buttermilk (I used milk)

Procedure

Position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare the pan as directed. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder (if using), baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

Add the granulated sugar to the large bowl of an electric mixer and crumble in the dark brown sugar, breaking up any clumps with your fingers. Add the oil and 2 eggs and beat until blended, then beat in the remaining eggs and the pumpkin. Scrape down the bowl and beater. With the mixer on the lowest speed, alternately add the juice or milk (or buttermilk if using) and the dry ingredients. When everything is blended, scrape down the bowl, then beat a few seconds longer until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes (or for the time indicated for your altitude in the chart) or until the cake has risen, is springy to the touch and is cracked on top, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for 20 to 25 minutes. Slide a knife around the pan sides and the top of the tube to release the cake. Top the cake with a foil-covered cardboard cake disk or a flat plate, invert, and lift off the pan. Cool the cake completely. Makes approximately 16 servings.

Nutritional Information (Approximate, Per Serving)

Calories 383, Fat 19.5g, Sodium 380mg, Cholesterol 26.4mg, Carbohydrates 50.2g, Dietary Fiber 2.1g, Protein 3.9g