Pumpkin Pound Cake

I love fall.

I love the rich colors of gold, red, orange and yellow.

I love the smells of bonfires, crisp leaves, cinnamon, and apples.

I love the comfort of cooler weather and outdoor activities with my kids.

I especially love the flavors of spice, sweet apples, and rich pumpkin.

So I decided to make something that encompassed all the flavors of fall: a pumpkin pound cake with apple cider caramel sauce!

But first a visit to the pumpkin patch for some inspiration...

Can you find the little boy in this picture?...

We had fun feeding the animals, exploring the farm, and getting ready for Halloween.

You'll have to visit Country Sun Farm in Stillwater to see what's in there!

Back at home, I got to work on my cake. I decided to use my bundt pan for a prettier presentation, and invited my neighbor over for afternoon tea.

I have my mom to thank for this recipe. I don't know where she got it, but this cake is AMAZING! It's sweet, spicy, delicate, and oh so good! Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Pound Cake

2-1/2 C cake flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ginger (ground)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardomon

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 C unsalted butter, at room temp

2 tsp vanilla

2 C dark brown sugar

1 C pumpkin (canned)

1/4 C powdered sugar, for dusting

Butter a 12 C bundt cake pan. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Separate the eggs - whites in a large bowl, yolks in a small bowl.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, pour vanilla in and add brown sugar, 1/2 C at a time (mix on low). Cream until light and fluffy (3-4 min.). Add egg yolks to mixture slowly, beat 1 min. Add pumpkin, beat till smooth. Add flour mixture, 1/3 C at a time, just till mixed. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites, and beat till soft peaks form. Fold into batter. Spoon batter into pan and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until top springs back. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and carefully invert. Sift powdered sugar on top.

So plain pound cake needs something, don't you think? I took a sauce from another recipe to add to my pound cake, along with a simple whipped cream. Here's the sauce:

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce (from Family Fun, 10/09)

1/2 C packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp corn starch

2/3 C apple cider

2 Tbsp heavy cream

1 Tbsp butter

salt to taste

In a medium saucepan whisk brown sugar and corn starch. Add cider and other ingredients. Stir well to dissolve. Cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly, until large bubbles form around perimeter of pan, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce until it thickens, about 2 minutes more.

This pumpkin cake tastes especially good with warm tea (ice cream works well, too, I discovered later that night!).

HAPPY AUTUMN!!