Pound cake. The food of champions. Or maybe it's just me.
Nah... if it was just me, you wouldn't be here to drool over this cake. That's logic.
A very dear family friend is coming to visit, so I wanted to make something special for them. I had pumpkin I needed to use, so I figured I'd make a pound cake. The ingredients are pantry staples (at least for this blogger), so I was able to make it on the spot. Nifty, eh?
Anyway, I am the namesake of the company we're having (to make it easier from here on out, I'll call her Grandma Lilah). We have been very close since the day we met. I was only a baby then, but you know how it goes.
Since she's coming over, I want the food to be perfect. She is an amazing home cook. Like, A-freakin-MAZING. So, she deserves the best. And I think this Pumpkin Pound Cake is just that.
On with the baking, shall we?
I began this batter much like any other cake batter: combining sugars, eggs and butter until creamed together.
Then, in a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and blend together with a fork.
After it's all creamed together, add your pumpkin and blend. It will look mealy/inconsistent, but that's okay. The graininess is how it's supposed to be.
Next, alternate between mixing in dry ingredients and the buttermilk/vanilla mixture.
Make sure to mix until it's just combined. As I mentioned in my Banana Bread recipe, over-mixing will develop the gluten and your cake will be tougher. We want tender and delicious.
Want tough stuff? Go to boot camp.
Wet ingredients...
And combine...
Repeat the process until you've combined all of the ingredients.
Then, without snitching too much of the batter, scrape it into your VERY well greased Bundt pan. I used Crisco, because it seems to work the best for me.
Bake the cake; once you take it out, let it cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Then remove it from the pan to finish cooling.
Once cooled, cut what will be the bottom of the cake so it is flat. I used a large serrated knife.
Of course, you eat the bits that are cut off... because, why waste?
Gently flip it back over onto your serving plate. Don't break it or you'll have to eat it all and make another before company comes...
That actually doesn't sound like a punishment. Hmm...
This would be really yummy with a maple glaze or lightly sweetened whipped cream. Whatever turns your crank!
Please enjoy a slice with someone you love. Make sure to come back and tell me what you thought!
Ingredients:
1 15-oz can pumpkin
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup buttermilk
Oven @ 350F and grease your Bundt pan WELL. No need to flour.
Cream butter, eggs, sugar and brown sugar. If you don't have dark brown sugar, do what I did: add a bit of molasses to light brown sugar. Simple!
Add in pumpkin and combine. It'll look grainy. No biggie.
Add in alternating dry ingredients and buttermilk/vanilla mixture.
Don't have buttermilk? No problem! Take one cup of milk and add one tablespoon of lemon juice. Let sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes. Voila! Add the curd and everything (don't separate them) when you measure out the 3/4 cup for the batter.
Once everything is combined, dump it evenly into your greased Bundt pan.
Stick it in the oven for 45 minutes and check. If it isn't finished, like mine, add another 10 minutes.
Let it cool in the pan when it's finished for about 15 minutes. Take it out (mine popped right out) and let it cool completely. Take a long serrated knife and with long, gently movements, saw off the very top (what will be the bottom) so it sits flat.
Turn it back onto your serving dish. Serve with a maple or cream cheese glaze or even some whipped cream. Whatever suits your fancy.
Remember: No matter where you are, keep it homemade.
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