Flavors and Aromas
For the past few weeks my mother has been asking me when I will be blogging about Thanksgiving desserts, since she began planning her menu four months ago. One problem; I had been focusing on my day-to-day meals more than a meal that seemed so far away at the time.
Now that pumpkins have officially made their way into every store, even I figured out that it is time to start highlighting various dessert options for the big feast, especially since Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.
I love the days leading up to Thanksgiving. The kitchen is filled with aromas I always associate with this holiday. With memories of those days still fresh in my mind, I find it incredibly rewarding to sit around the Thanksgiving table, finally relaxing knowing the meal is complete.
I know, I know…I am getting ahead of myself talking about a finished meal. There are so-o-o many desserts to think about before I can give that final sigh of relief.
Last year I blogged about Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting, a delicious layer cake option for the Holiday. I thought this year I would go a different route, at least for one of the desserts, Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce.
Cinnamon, ginger and cloves complement the pumpkin perfectly and the caramel sauce is a lovely accompaniment. Once the caramel sauce cools, a single layer is drizzled over the cake, while the remaining sauce is served with the cake. My preference is to spoon some sauce over my slice.
Actually, my real preference is to simply sit down with a bowl of cake and caramel and blend the two together, but that will have to wait for another recipe. For now know that if you choose to serve a Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce for your Thanksgiving Feast this year, you too will be able to relax at the end of the meal knowing your dessert brings together the best flavors and aromas this Holiday has to offer.
| Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce | | Print |
- Pumpkin cake:
- ¼ cup turbinado sugar
- 2¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 – 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- Caramel sauce:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- pinch salt
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 14 cup Bundt pan and sprinkle turbinado sugar around the pan. Set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar together for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl down in between additions. Add vanilla.
- Add ½ the dry ingredients followed by all of the sour cream. Blend in remaining dry ingredients. Mix in pumpkin puree.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 75 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer cake to cooling rack and cool completely.
- For the caramel sauce:
- Place butter, brown sugar and salt in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Set aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer to a liquid measuring cup and very lightly drizzle one layer of caramel sauce over the cake. Allow to set.
- Transfer cake to a serving plate. Serve the cake with warm caramel sauce on the side.
- Betsy's tidbits:
- Place a piece of wax paper under the cooling rack before drizzling the caramel sauce over the cake.
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake is delicious warm or cold.
- Try scooping cinnamon ice cream over a slice of the cake and then drizzling caramel sauce on top.
- The caramel sauce is also delicious to dip apples into.
You know I was thinking about the cinnamon ice cream as soon as I started reading the blog. Magnificent!
Faith,
Great minds think alike!
It was so yummy …I am still dreaming about it ….I enjoyed every bite…
Stacey,
I am happy for you that you are having sweet dreams! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
WOW this looks amazing. I want to stop everything that I am doing and go get the ingredients to make this. Your pictures are spectacular.
Rene,
Thanks so much! Happy baking.
Betsy, do you have any idea of how this would freeze? Would it lose any of its flavor or would the consistency change in any way?
M.,
This will freeze beautifully and will not lose any flavor. Enjoy baking ahead and relaxing as the Holiday approaches.
I want to make this and bring to Atlanta for Thanksgiving. How do you suggest I keep
it fresh?
I know everyone will love it and also surprised I made it !
Tammy,
Your family will love that you took the time to bake this. After you bake it, wrap it really well in plastic wrap. It will be fine.
Drive safely!
I made it on Saturday! So delicious. Oren loved it and doesn’t like pumpkin pie.
I’m making 2 for Atlanta, one for Sara and one for Thanksgiving!
So happy for the demonstration!
Xo
You rock, Tammy. I am so proud of you!
Betsy,
Thanks for hosting and showing us how to make this fabulous cake. I am not a big pumpkin fan, but I LOVED IT!! I will be making it for Thanksgiving.
Thanks so much Susan. I was so glad you joined us today and very happy that you enjoyed the cake!
Easy, delicious and fun to make. Also makes your house smell good!
That is a winning combination every single time!!
Hi Betsy! I heard you met my Mom. Hopefully next time I visit we’ll be able to connect. I tried this pumpkin cake and it is AMAZING! I served it at my new grandson’s brit and everyone loved it!
Hi Yael,
Your Mom is lovely and it was so nice to get the chance to chat with her. Next trip we definitely have to connect!
I am so glad you loved this cake. Thank you for letting me know.
My tasters, i.e., the people to whom I gave the entire cake, made it easy for me: “Outstanding!!!!!”
I went back to them the next day to pick up my container. There was one sliver left. I asked if I could have it (up to that point I had only licked the bowl and beaters and wished I could eat the entire batter). Who would dare have the nerve to say no to me? I was in full agreement. Fabulous cake; caramel sauce was awesome; and to someone like me, one of the best attributes of all—–so easy to make. I’m about to bake three more to drop off at three different places for Thanksgiving. Many thanks.
M.,
I am so glad that you had such great reviews. It is also wonderful that you actually got to taste the finished cake and not just the batter!
As I just put my third Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce in the ´fridge, I thought of something I keep forgeting to write you: your caramel sauce is the best I have ever eaten. I, so badly, wanted to give as much of the extra to my friends so they could top a few slices with nice warm caramel sauce. Yes, they got some. But, I just couldn’t resist eating a bit of it myself. It is de-e-licious!!! And FYI, without reading your little tidbit, I had dipped cut up apples slices in the leftover from the prior two cakes. Yummy!
M.,
Thank you so much! I am thrilled you love the cake and the caramel sauce. It is VERY addicting.