Pumpkin Pound Cake
Submitted by sandyh
Pumpkin pound cake with warm spices, finished with orange glaze and homemade candied orange peel. Makes two 9×5 loaves, perfect for fall gifting or freezing.
YIELD
18 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
1½ hrsREADY
5 hrsA dense, moist pumpkin pound cake spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, baked into two loaves so you can keep one and give one away. The recipe yields enough to share, and these loaves freeze beautifully wrapped tight in plastic and foil.
The high butter and egg content delivers true pound cake structure, dense and rich, not the lighter, fluffier crumb of a quick bread. With brown sugar instead of white, the caramel notes deepen and complement the canned pumpkin puree beautifully.
The candied orange peel garnish takes 15 minutes and pushes this from impressive to bakery-window stunning. The bright citrus zip cuts through the rich spice cake, while the candy crunch contrasts with the tender crumb underneath.
The orange glaze ties everything together, providing visual appeal while echoing the candied peel’s citrus notes. Use orange juice for a brighter glaze or water for a more neutral finish that lets the cake speak for itself.
Pro Tips
Bring eggs to room temperature before mixing. Cold eggs curdle the creamed butter and produce a denser, gummier cake.
Use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The filling has added sugar and spice that throw off the recipe’s balance.
Test for doneness at 65 minutes with a toothpick. Pumpkin pound cakes can vary in doneness by 10 minutes depending on your pan and oven.
Cool fully before glazing. Warm cake melts the glaze into a watery layer instead of a clean opaque coating.
Variations
Add a half cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter for nutty crunch.
Substitute apple butter for half the pumpkin for an apple-pumpkin fall variation.
Skip the candied peel and glaze, dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar for a simpler presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
In large bowl with mixer at low speed, beat brown sugar and margarine or butter just until blended.
Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy.
Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, eggs and pumpkin; beat until well mixed, scraping bowl frequently with rubber spatula.
Increase speed to high; beat 2 min. occasionally scraping bowl.
Spoon batter into pans.
Bake loaves 70 to 75 min. until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool loaves in pans on wire racks 10 min.; remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.
Meanwhile prepare Candied Orange Peel.
To serve, in small bowl, with spoon, mix confectioners’ sugar with orange juice or water; drizzle over cooled loaves.
CANDIED ORANGE PEEL: With vegetable peeler, peel 1inch wide long strips of peel from 2 large oranges.
Trim off as much white membrane from peel as possible.
In 1 quart saucepan over high heat, heat orange peel strips, ¾ cup water, and ⅓ cup sugar to boiling.
Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 min., stirringoccasionally until orange peel is limp and translucent.
Drain orange peel and place on cookie sheet; sprinkle randomly with 1 teaspoon sugar. Let dry.
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