Pumpkin Pound Cake
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2/3 cup milk
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan that holds at least 12 cups. Whisk together in medium size bowl flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, about three minutes, scrape down sides as needed. With mixer on medium low, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Mix in pumpkin, and then vanilla and milk. The batter will look strange, lumpy and separated, but it is okay. Turn mixer to low and add flour mixer about 1/2 cup at a time, again scraping sides as needed. Be sure everything is well mixed. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Pan will be very full. Bake for 55 minutes to one hour, till golden in color and firm to touch. Let cake cool in pan on rack for ten minutes and then turn cake onto rack to cool completely.
  2. It takes great plain, but you could dust with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream. I made a vanilla butter glaze for the one Greg brought to work because I thought it looked pretty.
  3. Vanilla Butter Glaze
  4. 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  5. 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  6. 3 tablespoons milk
  7. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  8. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Let stand for a few minutes and then drizzle over cake.
RECIPE BACKSTORY
Adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman—her recipe is for a pumpkin pound cake in a loaf pan with chocolate chips and walnuts—I doubled the recipe and left out the chips and nuts. Also, she used cloves and I couldn’t find mine so I used ginger.