Thanksgiving weekend is my absolute most favourite weekend of the year. I LOVE Thanksgiving weekend in the Maritimes. The temperature is perfect, the beautiful leaves are still on the trees, the breeze is crisp, and it smells divine. Besides all that, everything pumpkin and spice is in season. It’s just so perfect. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekends, wherever you are.
This cake recipe, a Dorie Greenspan recipe, has been one of my favourite cakes to bake during Fall for the past few years. This all-in-one bundt cake was originally published in Dorie’s Baking book, then later re-published by Dorie herself on Serious Eats when she had a regular baking blog post on the site.
This cake has everything you love about fall baked right into it – pumpkin, warm spices, apples, cranberries, and pecans. I like to leave it plain, but it’s great with a maple glaze, ice cream, or whipped cream served with it. It is heavy and moist, and keeps well on the cupboard for several days.
Although it may seem like a lot of steps to make this cake, I really encourage you to try it. It’s quite worth it just to be able to have a slice with a cup of tea.
[Recipe] Dorie’s All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 large apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped
1 cup fresh cranberries, halved or coarsely chopped
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- to 10-inch (about 12-cup) bundt pan. Butter it well, to avoid the cake sticking.
Put the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt (and ground ginger, if you’re using it) in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Working with a mixer (and using a paddle attachment, if you have one), 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 apples and grated ginger—don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled.
Still on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. Working with a rubber spatula, stir in the cranberries and pecans.
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
Slide the pan into the oven and bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature on the rack.
Dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar.
Serve slices of this cake with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. You can also toast the cake lightly and spread it with a little butter and/or maple syrup.
Storing: Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, at which point it will be perfect for toasting, or for up to 2 months in the freezer.
[Recipe] All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1 large apple peeled, cored, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh cranberries halved or coarsely chopped
- 1 cup pecans coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- to 10-inch (about 12-cup) bundt pan.
- Put the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt (and ground ginger, if you're using it) in a bowl and whisk to combine. Working with a mixer (and using a paddle attachment, if you have one), 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 apples and grated ginger—don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Still on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. Working with a rubber spatula, stir in the cranberries and pecans.
- Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Slide the pan into the oven and bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature on the rack.
- Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar.
- Serve not-so-dainty slices of this cake with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. You can also toast the cake lightly and spread it with a little butter and/or maple syrup.
- Storing: Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, at which point it will be perfect for toasting, or for up to 2 months in the freezer.
