tis the season to cook and bake with pumpkin.� yes, the recipes for all things orange�have taken over the foodie blogosphere.� it’s literally pumpkin, squash and sweet potato mania.� so after just recently seeing�someone do�a lovely�version of a pumpkin bundt cake that i later spotted on ‘epicurious‘,�i knew i wanted to do something a bit more along the lines of “this isn’t your grandma’s pumpkin cake anymore”.��you see�i was watching ‘the next iron chef‘ marathon, so the�potential�of this innocent recipe�becoming�quasi radical and innovative was exponentially increasing per episode and totally�driving the way this�cake was going to go down.

but i am if nothing else, a realist.� so in staying within the confines of what is viable in my world of cooking, i present to you:

a very spiced pumkin cake with ginger icing

heavily adapted from the november 2005 gourmet recipe found on epicurious�with various inspirations coming from the comments

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can of solid-pack pumpkin -15 oz. can
about 3 T honey
1�1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2�teaspoon cinnamon
1�teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1�teaspoon salt
about 2/3 cup chopped walnuts

some buttermilk – like 2-3 tablespoons
ginger preserves – like 2 big tablespoons
about 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan, buttered and floured – and a preheated oven set to 350

please note: i took some serious license with the instructions.� this was not a fine, flakey�french pastry that needed to be carefully handled.� this was more of a peasanty kind of cake that i figured could withstand a little ‘one mixing bowl’ abuse.

so first, into the electric mixer�went the softened butter and sugar.� that got creamed for about 3 minutes.� then i added the eggs and mixed for another minute or so.��next up was the�buttermilk and then the vanilla and honey.� after that the can of pumpkin, all the while mixing�in between�additions.� then�the flours and baking powder and soda. i alternated these to try and get an even batter without sifting.� and then lastly,�i added the walnuts and all the spices and salt.

one bowl. it can be done. i put the batter in the pan and placed it on the middle rack. i’ve got a convection oven and 45 minutes was about right.

while that was�baking i put the buttermilk, preserves and sugar into my vitamix – a�powerful�blender,�because i am relatively lazy and the ginger pieces were chunky. this worked like a charm giving me a smooth sugary glaze.� it really turned out well.

after�the cake�came out of the oven, depanned and still warm – i drizzled with the icing. when the cake cooled down a bit more, i drizzled again.

and now that it’s been borne of a need to blog, (NaMoBloMo? someone out there explain to me why we’re doing this? please?) it needs to get adopted.� i need to give this cake away.� but you see, it’s not for the faint of heart.� it’s for the kind of�person who demands a bit more from their pumpkin cake.� this is no light and fluffy, buttery�little tea cake.� you could slice this up and serve it with a double espresso or a cognac – and it’d hold its own just fine.

i like my cake like i like my men…