Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1-1/2 sticks 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing bundt pan
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting pan
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin from a 15-ounce can; not pie filling
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
Icing
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons milk plus more if needed (skim is fine)
Instructions
For Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bundt pan generously, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in a bowl.
- Whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.
- Beat butter, white sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, then add eggs and beat 1 minute.
- Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.
- Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, then bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert rack over cake and reinvert cake onto rack.
- Let cake cool completely before icing.
For Icing
- Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Add sugar and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
- Add salt, lemon juice and milk; mix on low speed until smooth.
- If glaze is too thick to drizzle, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Leave cake on rack and drizzle icing over cake in ribbons - it should not be completely covered.
- Transfer cake to a plate for serving and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes to set the icing.
- Bring cake to room temperature before serving.
Notes
* You'll need a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan (3 quart or 12 cups). In my collection of bundt pans (don't ask how many I have) this is the largest one.
* You can also make mini-loaves (2-cup mini-loaf pans). One recipe makes 4 loaves. Cook for 25-30 minutes.
* I recommend using SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend in place of fresh buttermilk. You’ll find it in the baking section of your grocery store. Follow directions on the container for use. It keeps for a few years refrigerated so you always have buttermilk on hand.
* You can also make mini-loaves (2-cup mini-loaf pans). One recipe makes 4 loaves. Cook for 25-30 minutes.
* I recommend using SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend in place of fresh buttermilk. You’ll find it in the baking section of your grocery store. Follow directions on the container for use. It keeps for a few years refrigerated so you always have buttermilk on hand.
