pumpkin gingerbread bundt cake

Shown here with British custard (made from Bird's custard powder) and pieces of crystallized ginger--I couldn't resist.

Anyway, this is a simple gingerbread recipe that I embellished by substituting brown sugar for white and pureed pumpkin for half of the molasses. I had some great kiddiewink helpers for making it and eating it, and the cake turned out delightfully. I poured the batter into a bundt pan for added fun! Moist and rich...perfect for warm custard, or just dusted with powdered sugar.




Elder Kiddiewink took this photo...


And can you guess who shot this one?


The original gingerbread recipe came from my Grandma's Circle Cookbook. But as you know, I can't fight the urge to fiddle.

You'll need:

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 c. flour (used all-purpose)
• 1/2 c. pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 c. molasses
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1 t. ginger
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1 c. hot water

Do this:

Grease a 10-inch bundt pan (4 inches deep) and leave it to ruminate by itself for a few minutes. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy as a bunny. Add the egg (crack it first, honey) and beat it all up some more. Mix those dry ingredients together, then add them, plus the pumpkin and molasses, to the creamed mixture. Mix well and add in the hot water till it's all smooth like a glassy pond. (A dark brown pond that you probably wouldn't want to swim in.) Pour the batter into your prepared and musing bundt pan, then give those beaters to your kids to lick and get all over their countenances.

Bake in a 350 F (180 C) cavernous 1950s oven for approximately 40 minutes and hang out in the kitchen looking at this black walnut tree while you're enjoying the warmth from said oven.