Recipe: Harvest Loaf Cake with Spice Glaze (using pumpkin, chocolate chips and nuts)

HARVEST LOAF CAKE WITH SPICE GLAZE

1 3/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup solid-pack pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
Spice Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch pan on the bottom.

Combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter in a large bowl; add sugar and beat at high speed on mixer until fluffy. Blend in eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Blend well after each addition.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 60 to 75 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.

Drizzle cooled cake with the glaze. Let cake stand for six hours before slicing.

SPICE GLAZE

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 or 2 tablespoons cream

Mix all ingredients for the glaze until desired consistency.

Makes 1 loaf
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 18, 2001