Pumpkin Bundt Cake

I love this fall "cake". I'm not a *huge* cake fan, but this is so very moist, and not too sweet. I eat it for breakfast.

Here is the original recipe:

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 can pumpkin -- (15 ounce)
puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 10 inch bundt or tube pan.

Cream oil, beaten eggs, pumpkin and vanilla together.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. If desired, stir in some chopped nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

And here are my adjustments:


I used cooked, mashed butternut squash, because it seems silly to buy canned pumpkin when there are all kinds of great locally grown winter squashes.

I added 2 grated carrots, because I have LOADS of them from the CSA and am putting them in everything I can. Plus, if something has 2 vegetables (butternut squash and carrots), then it is a casserole. Right?? haha.

Anyway.

I added black walnuts, and raisins, and substituted homemade apple butter for 1/2 cup of the oil. I also cut back on the sugar by a half cup. I didn't use any frosting and found it plenty sweet, but of course this cake could be frosted.

I think you could also use honey instead of sugar, but I haven't tried it...yet.

I bet it would also be delicious with shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, or candied ginger pieces. or all three. :)

I have also made it with whole wheat flour. It was less successful with my guinea pigs, um, err...family, but I liked it.

This cake freezes beautifully! Also it would be just as good baked as a sheet cake or made into cupcakes.