Pumpkin
Coffee Cake
As fall nights grow longer and cooler, pumpkins grow more prevalent within them. Each year, these autumnal gourds dutifully take up their schedule of evening appearances in pies and on porches. But pumpkins’ festive graces ought not to be kept solely in the dark. They are equally suited to the break of day.
There are few things more pleasurable on a slow, chilly autumn morning than a hot cup of coffee, a seat by a window with a good view of the leaves, and a bite of something liberally laced with pumpkin. If that something also finds itself drizzled with cinnamon icing, your day will start out as best as it possibly can, and after that . . . who cares, really?
There are various such somethings to choose from, but having invested a couple of days and quite a few pumpkins experimenting, we (humbly) believe that we have concocted the best such something. We thus present below our Pumpkin Coffee Cake for your autumn morning perusal. Have a piece by the window tomorrow and let us know what you think.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Equipment:
Large mixing bowl
Bundt pan or two bread loaf pans
Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups cooked, puréed pumpkin (or one 15oz. can)
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Optional:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
or
2 cups golden raisins
For the icing :
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all dry ingredients. Next, add the butter, eggs, water and pumpkin to the dry ingredients. Mix well. Fold in chocolate chips or raisins (or a cup of each!).
Pour into one well greased and floured bundt pan, or two well-greased floured bread loaf pans.
Bake on the centre rack for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes or until a butter knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Remove from oven. Let rest in pan for ten minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely! Meanwhile, make the glaze.
Cinnamon icing:
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Using a large spoon drizzle glaze back and forth over top of completely cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Pairs well with
"'Tis Autumn"
Stan Getz Plays
Norgran Records. 1955.
