Pumpkin Cake
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • Cooking Time: 55
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • Pecan halves
  • Brown Butter Icing:
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
DIRECTIONS
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line pan with parchment, and butter the parchment. Coat pan with flour, and tap out any excess.
  3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  5. Add eggs, and beat until combined.
  6. Add pumpkin puree and milk; beat until combined. Add reserved flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
  8. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Let cake rest 20 minutes.
  9. Unmold cake. Using an offset spatula, spread icing over top of cake, and decorate with pecan halves.
  10. Icing:
  11. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes.
  12. Remove pan from heat, and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind.
  13. Add sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk; stir until smooth.
  14. If the icing is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon milk, a little at a time, until consistency is spreadable.
  15. Let cool 5 minutes. Use immediately.
RECIPE BACKSTORY
This is a modified Martha Stewart recipe. It's moist but not overly sweet - great with a cup of coffee the morning after Thanksgiving.