Spiced Pumpkin Harvest Bundt Cake with Pecans

Pumpkin makes a terrific addition to Bundt cake. It adds rich autumn flavor, plus fiber and vitamins A and C. Start with a fresh 2- to 3-pound sugar pumpkin or winter squash, cook it in the microwave until tender (about 10 minutes), then scrape out the flesh, peel, and mash. Or even simpler,  use a 15-ounce can of pumpkin. (Make sure you pick up pumpkin puree and not premade pumpkin pie filling.) Buy the freshest nuts you can find, and the cake will have a lovely caramel color and bright, complex flavor from the marriage of squash and spices, dappled with this season’s nuts.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 4 large eggs, large
  • nonstick cooking spray with flour (such as Spectrum Canola Spray with Flour)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1-1/4 cups canola oil
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups mashed pumpkin (or 15-ounce can of unsweetened pumpkin puree)
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

Instructions

  • Place eggs in a bowl of hot tap water (to quickly bring them to room temperature, so they beat to maximum volume). Position oven rack in the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan with cooking spray.
  • To prepare cake, sift together flour and next 6 ingredients (through ground cloves) onto a sheet of wax paper.
  • Place oil and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer to combine. Add granulated sugar and vanilla, and beat well. With the mixer running, gradually add flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at low speed. Beat in pumpkin, zest and 1 teaspoon juice. Fold in 3/4 cup nuts.
  • Scrape batter into prepared pan. (Pan will be very full.) Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of pan, and carefully turn pan and rack to gently remove cake from pan. Cool cake on wire rack.
  • To prepare glaze, place butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer to combine thoroughly. Add powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix thoroughly. Scrape glaze over the top of  still-warm cake, and spread over the top with an offset spatula. (Glaze will drizzle down the sides of the cake.) Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons nuts.
Servings: 16
by Linda West Eckhardt, a James Beard Award-winning author of more than 20 cookbooks, including Cakes from Scratch in Half the Time (Chronicle Books).
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Hey there ... I'm Lia Huber

My mission is to inspire and equip you to live a richer life through real food by becoming a more competent, confident home cook.


I’m the author of Nourished: A Memoir of Food, Faith, and Enduring Love, founder and CEO of Nourish Evolution, and the creator of Cook the Seasons, Home Cooking School, and the Real Food Reset, and I empower intentional women to cook in a way that brings them (and their families) joy, health, and ease.

Making the shift from processed food to real food doesn’t happen overnight. It’s an evolution that occurs over time, with effort, intention, and belief. And it will change the course of your life. Are you ready to take the first step? I’m so glad you’re here … and I’m honored to be with you on the journey to becoming nourished!

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