All-in-One Holiday Bundt Cake

For this year’s Thanksgiving dinner(s), I made 2 desserts.  I couldn’t make up my mind which dessert to bring to which dinner, so I brought half of each dessert to both dinners.  I wasn’t the only person bringing desserts, so I didn’t worry too much about the smaller quantities.

I decided this year to make two pumpkin desserts.  I’ve had my eye on Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for All-in-One Holiday Bundt Cake for a while now.  This recipe is featured in Baking from My Home to Yours and a variation was featured in a recent issue of Bon Appetit.  It’s a great basic bundt cake recipe with lots of “add ins” (cranberries, chopped apples, nuts).  The Picky Apple didn’t much care for the add ins, but I thought they completed the cake.  I topped the cake with a basic glaze of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.  This cake wasn’t exactly the star of the dessert table (you’ll see one reason when I post the other dessert I brought), but it played a strong supporting role.  I think this cake would be great for a holiday brunch!

All-in-One Holiday Bundt Cake

from Baking From My Home To Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1 cup cranberries, halved or coarsely chopped (I used Craisins instead for extra sweetness)
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9- to 10- inch (12 cup) Bundt pan.  Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet-you want the oven’s heat to circulate freely through the Bundt’s inner tube.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ground ginger, if you’re using it (not the grated ginger).

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars together at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, and beat for 1 minute after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the pumpkin, chopped apple and grated ginger, if you’re using it-don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled.  Still on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated.  With a rubber spatula, stir in the cranberries and pecans.  Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool to room temperature on the rack.

Just before bringing the cake to the table, dust it with confectioners’ sugar.