Pumpkin and Maple Bundt Cake

Alright guys, ready for some crazy news?  Today, I'm posting a recipe for a pumpkin bundt cake.  Sure, that doesn't really sound like anything spectacular, as the Internet is full of all kinds of recipes for pumpkin Bundt cakes, but what is pretty spectacular is just how excited I am to be sharing this recipe with you guys.  I think this is the most excited I've ever been about sharing a pumpkin treat, and in fact, this is probably the most excited I've ever been about sharing a cake recipe in general.  Ok, I've definitely been more excited about sharing the Chocolate Stout Cake, the Pink Ombre Surprise Cake, and the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake, but the fact that a pumpkin cake is right below my top 3 favorite cakes is a very big deal.  I made a pumpkin cake, and I actually loved it.  I loved this cake so much, that I knew immediately that I wanted to make it again for Thanksgiving.  I never thought I would see the day where I'd be this excited about anything with pumpkin, but I've somehow managed to completely surprise myself.   

Since my sister has been away at school, I've taken over all the decision making in terms of what I choose to bake and post.  Every now and then I'll ask her for an opinion, but I no longer have to listen to her complain when I decide to make something she's not particularly crazy about (aka, fudgey brownies and anything flavored with coconut).  When I got the idea that I wanted to make a pumpkin Bundt cake, I shared my decision with my sister, who had nothing to say but, "UGH!  Why am I not at home right now!?"  My sister is completely pumpkin-obsessed, and while it's too bad she wasn't at home to try out how great this cake came out, at least she'll be home for Thanksgiving and will get to try it then. I knew I wanted to make some kind of glaze to brush over the cake, and my sister suggested making an icing to drizzle over the cake to finish it off.  At first, I was a bit nervous about incorporating both a glaze and an icing, as I thought it would end up giving the cake an overly sweet taste with each bite, but they ended up working perfectly, as the cake itself didn't end up being too sweet on its own. 
  

I wanted to pair the pumpkin flavor in the cake with something else, since I'm usually indifferent to pumpkin things on their own.  I was debating between mixing in some chocolate, adding a cinnamon streusel filling, or a tunnel of dulce de leche.  After some heavy pondering, the solution became perfectly clear.  Maple syrup!  It seems like an obvious option, and I was glad the lightbulb in my head went off, because it really added a tremendous amount of flavor to the cake.  I think this may have been the real reason I thought this cake turned out so well.  The maple syrup provided a perfect balance to the pumpkin, and sweetened the cake in a way that regular granulated sugar just wouldn't have been able to.  The maple syrup and brown sugar both sweetened the cake, and provided an intense depth of flavor that mellows out the flavor of the pumpkin.  The pumpkin flavor is still there, for sure, but it is simply enhanced with the addition of the maple syrup.  This, in combination with pumpkin pie spice, made for a perfect seasonal fall flavor profile.  

This is the kind of cake that you can whip up in a matter of just ten minutes or so.  It's incredibly simple to put together, and requires ingredients that I'm sure most of you will already have on hand now that it's fall.  The cake itself is very self-explanatory; just mix everything in your mixer, and you're good to go!  Just make sure to grease and flour your Bundt pan really well before you pour in the cake batter.  I've had the unfortunate experience of not greasing my pan sufficiently, and ending up with half a Bundt cake on my kitchen counter and the other half still stuck inside the pan.  If the pan is greased and floured properly, you won't have any issues getting the cake out.  What I like to do is let the cake cool inside the pan for about 15 minutes or so on a wire rack.  Then, once the Bundt pan is cool enough to handle (but still warm), I like to firmly tap with my fist all the way around the pan to loosen the cake from the sides.  Once I can feel that the cake is moving slightly in the pan with each tap, I simply invert it onto my cake stand.  

The idea for the maple glaze came from one of my other favorite Bundt cake recipes.  My mom's Bundt Cake with Brandy Butter Glaze is really one of my favorite cakes ever, and it contains a really simple glaze made from butter, brandy, and sugar that gets brushed over the entire cake while it's still warm.  The glaze helps to keep the cake moist, as well as providing a hint of extra flavor.  The icing really finishes off the cake beautifully, but feel free to omit the icing if you think it'll be too sweet for your taste.  The glaze though, is definitely necessary, in my opinion, as it really elevates the cake as far as flavor goes.  This pumpkin and maple Bundt cake is the perfect quick cake to whip up for whenever your pumpkin craving strikes, and if you don't like pumpkin, I definitely say you should still give this cake a shot!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Maple Bundt Cake
recipe inspired by My Baking Addiction

Ingredients

For the Cake

1/2 cup pure maple syrup, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree

For the Maple Glaze

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the Icing

1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1-2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and position a rack in the middle of the oven.  Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray, and flour, tapping out any excess.

In the bowl of a standard electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.  Beat on medium speed until blended and slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is well mixed before adding the next.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.  Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture, alternating with the pumpkin puree, making sure to begin and end with the dry ingredients.  Mix only until just combined, and be sure to stop the mixer every now and then and really scrape the bowl well with a rubber spatula. 

Transfer the cake batter to the prepared Bundt pan, and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 60 minutes.  Allow the cake to cool in the Bundt pan for about 10-15 minutes before inverting the cake onto a wire rack.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the maple glaze.  In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar together, stirring to combine.  Remove the glaze from the heat, and brush the glaze over the warm Bundt cake.  Let the cake cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled completely, prepare the icing.  In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, maple syrup, and milk.  Start out with one tablespoon of milk, and add more if the icing is too thick.  You can play around with the amounts until you reach a consistency that you like.  Pour the icing into a plastic Ziploc bag, seal it, and snip off a tiny bit from the corner to create a small tip.  Drizzle the icing over the cake. Slice, and enjoy!

Makes 1 10-inch Bundt cake