When the autumn season sets in, there’s nothing quite like the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and pumpkin. This recipe calls for all four ingredients, resulting in the perfect combination of desserts’ best aromas. Pumpkin pound cake is bound to become an all-time fall favorite.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Pound cakes are usually very dense and heavy. For a spongier and fluffier pound cake, you’ll want to incorporate air into your flour by sifting it. You can repeat the sifting process a few times to make your flour lighter.
When creaming your butter and sugar, you’ll need to be thorough to combine everything well. Be sure to frequently scrape down the sides of your bowl with a spatula during the mixing process. The last thing you want is a bread-like cake. This happens when you agitate the gluten in the flour while combining your dry and wet ingredients. To avoid this, be very gentle as you fold your flour mixture into the butter-sugar mix, even if it seems like a lengthy process.
You’ll notice that this recipe calls for both white and brown sugar. White sugar will give your batter more sweetness, while brown sugar will enhance the classic ‘fall flavor’ you’re aiming for with a pumpkin pound cake. In addition, brown sugar will make your batter come out a deeper orange-brown color, which is pretty on-theme for autumn.
INGREDIENTS
250 grams – All-purpose flour
½ teaspoon – Baking soda
1 teaspoon – Baking powder
½ teaspoon – Salt
1 teaspoon – Ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon – Ground ginger
½ teaspoon – All-spice
¼ teaspoon – Freshly grated nutmeg
250 grams – Unsalted butter
150 grams – White sugar
50 grams – Brown sugar
250 grams – Eggs
1 teaspoon – Vanilla extract
¾ cups – Pumpkin puree
THE PROCESS
As always, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, sift together 250 grams of all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, all-spice, and freshly grated nutmeg. After sifting these ingredients together, stir them with a spatula and set them aside.
In another bowl, add your unsalted butter and a combination of white sugar and brown sugar with a hand mixer. You’ll want to mix the butter and sugar until it reaches a light and fluffy consistency. From here, add your lightly beaten eggs and incorporate this into the butter-sugar mixture with a spatula. Then, mix in the vanilla extract. Finally, add your pumpkin puree, and fold this gently into the butter-sugar mixture with a spatula.
Now it’s time to combine your dry and wet ingredients. Add your flour mix to your butter-sugar mixture in three batches, and fold it in gently with a spatula after each addition. Once you’ve incorporated all the flour into the butter-sugar mixture, your batter is ready!
Pour your batter into a prepared pan of your choice.
To prepare a pan, lightly brush the entire surface area of the pan’s interior with butter, then line your pan with parchment paper. An alternative to lining your pan is to dust the pan’s interior with flour. Be sure to tap out the excess flour before adding your batter to the pan.
BAKING THE CAKE
Bake your pumpkin pound cake batter at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 45 minutes. You’ll know your cake is ready if it passes the ‘skewer test.’ To do the skewer test, insert a wooden or metal skewer into the center of your cake. If your skewer comes out with batter, it’ll need more time in the oven. If it comes out clean, however, your cake is ready.
When your cake passes the skewer test, you’ll need to let it cool on a wired rack before serving. And there you have it! A flavorful pumpkin pound cake with a blend of the best spices. It doesn’t get much better than this. Give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think!
