Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

I made this cake on Christmas Day. I've had the recipe for months and even bought some buttermilk that I had to re-purchase because I waited too long and it expired. Procrastination! I used a Nordic Ware 'Chrysanthemum' bundt pan I purchased at Wal Mart about a year ago. I finally got around to using it! To grease the pan, it is easer to use a brush to make sure you get all the little nooks. It turned out quite delicious and soft. I was pretty surprised actually, because a lot of my cakes don't always fully rise. I wonder if the ingredients I used before, such as baking soda, were too old or something. Not bad for a first attempt with a fancy bundt pan. I found this recipe on epicurious.com.

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Icing

Cake
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing bundt pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additonal for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-ounce can; not pie filling)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

Icing
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons well-shaken buttermilk
1/12 cups confectioners sugar

Special equipment: a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan (3 quart)

Make cake:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350*F. Butter bundt pan generously, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour (2 1/4 cups), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.

Beat butter (1 1/2 sticks) and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medum-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, then add aggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.

Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, then bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minues. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert rack over cake and reinvert cake onto rack. Cool 10 minutes more.

Make icing:
While cake is cooling, whisk together cuttermilk and confectioners sugar until smooth. Drizzle icing over warm cake, then cool cake completely. Icing will harden slightly.


Cooks' note: Cake can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.