Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

It's fall, even though it doesn't feel like it in Florida! I've been wanting to make a pumpkin bundt cake for awhile. After looking at several recipes, I finally decided to combine a couple of recipes. The cake recipe is from Martha Stewart and the glaze was found on Heather's Dish. Reviews about the cake on Martha's website said it didn't need a glaze so I debated adding it. However, I'm glad I did. The cake was very spicy. The glaze was delicious and complimented it well, I thought. It was a little thin though, maybe because I used half & half instead of heavy cream or maybe I didn't let it cook long enough. My bundt cake pans must be smaller than normal. This recipe made enough for two cakes, which just meant our neighbors got a little surprise!

Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray, for pan
• 4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (or substitue just under 1 cup milk + 1 Tablespoon Vinegar and let rest for 5 minutes)
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 14-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until just combined. Add pumpkin puree, and beat until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake cake until golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully turn cake onto rack too cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (I used half & half because it's what I had)

Directions

1. In a saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.  When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick.  Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces.  Serve cake warm or at room temperature.