Recipe: All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake with Maple Syrup Icing

ALL-IN-ONE HOLIDAY BUNDT CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 large apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 cup cranberries, halved or coarsely chopped
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
FOR THE MAPLE SYRUP ICING (OPTIONAL)*:
6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

Center rack in oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 9- to 10-inch bundt pan. (Note: If using silicone bundt pan, there's no need to butter it.) Do not place pan on baking sheet; oven's heat should circulate freely through bundt's inner tube.

In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ground ginger. (Note: If using fresh ginger, do not add yet.) Set aside.

Working with stand mixer, preferably fitted with paddle attachment, or with hand mixer in large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add pumpkin, chopped apple and grated ginger, (if using). (Note: Mixture may look curdled; that's OK.) On low speed, add dry ingredients, mixing only until incorporated. Using rubber spatula, stir in cranberries and pecans. Scrape batter into pan. Smooth top with rubber spatula.

Bake 60-70 minutes or until thin knife inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Transfer cake to rack. Cool for 10 minutes. Unmold. Cool to room temperature on rack.

TO PREPARE MAPLE-SYRUP ICING:
Sift confectioners' sugar into bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Add more maple syrup, little by little, until icing runs nicely off tip of spoon. (Note: Add up to 1/2 tablespoon syrup to get to right consistency.

Put cooled cake on wax paper. Drizzle icing from tip of spoon over cake. Let icing set for a few minutes before serving.

*If not using the Maple Syrup Icing, just before serving, dust cake with some confectioners' sugar.

Makes 12 servings
Source: Baking by Dorie Greenspan