Recipe: Autumn Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Autumn Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Cake:
1/2 cup each raisins, chopped dried apricots and chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp each ground nutmeg, ginger and allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
14-oz can unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

Rosemary-orange glaze:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups icing sugar
1 to 2 tsp finely grated orange peel
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 350F . Lightly butter or spray with oil a bundt pan that will hold at least 9 cups.

Measure out and prepare raisins, apricots and pecans.

In a large bowl, place flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt. Add brown sugar. Using a fork, stir until evenly mixed. In a medium-size bowl, whisk eggs with milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk in pumpkin just until smooth. Scrape into flour mixture, then stir just until mixed. Stir in raisins, apricots and pecans until evenly distributed. Turn into prepared pan and smooth top.

Bake in center of 350F oven until a cake tester inserted in centre of cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around outer pan edges to loosen cake. Turn out onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Cool.

Meanwhile, for glaze, pour juice into a small bowl. Using a fork, stir in sugar, then orange peel and rosemary until shiny and smooth. Spoon overtop cooled cake, letting some drip down sides. Scoop up any glaze from sheet and re-drizzle overtop. Cake will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator at least i week.

Chatelaine Magazine, October 2003