keeps gettin' better

I've made this cake twice in the past month because it's that good. It's a cake that just gets more moist and flavorful over a couple of days, unlike a typical cake which gets dry and drier.

And that's why this is a perfect cake to serve during the holiday season. I mean, how wonderful would your life be if you knew guests were coming, you whipped this up the night before, knowing that you could serve this the next day with confidence? Or what if you are attending a pot luck, or giving some as a gift? It travels beautifully because the icing hardens, so it's not like a smear-able buttercream frosting.

My favorite way to eat it is with a hot cup of Chai. I hope you get to enjoy this too!

Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine, November 2005

Serves 12-16

Recipe Notes-

- I adjusted the seasonings a bit here, adding in the pumpkin pie spice. But if you don’t have allspice you could just use a full 1 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice instead. I also added a bit of vanilla to the glaze for a little extra flavor.

- The first time I made this the buttermilk glaze sort of absorbed into the cake and it honestly didn’t look that pretty (tasted great though). If you want this cake to look extra pretty, I’d recommend a double glaze.

Ingredients:

¾ Cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ Cup granulated sugar

3 Large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ¼ Cups canned pumpkin, solid pack

¾ Cup well-shaken buttermilk

2 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. allspice

½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. salt

For glaze:

2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. well-shaken buttermilk

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ Cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a Bundt pan by greasing and flouring it.

2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and pumpkin, mixing thoroughly and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Alternate placing the buttermilk and dry ingredients in the bowl, ending with the dry ingredients.

5. Spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on rack for 15 minutes, then invert cake over rack.

For the glaze:

6. While the cake is cooling, whisk all the ingredients until the glaze is runny and smooth.

7. Once the cake is completely cooled, place the cake on a cake plate or stand, and spread half of the glaze over the cake. Once the glaze is set and slightly firm (wait about 30 minutes to an hour) spread the rest of the glaze on the cake.