Pumpkin Bourbon Pecan Pie Bundt with Bourbon Glaze

Sometimes mistakes are a good thing.

I asked Chris to help me out by bringing the bourbon into the kitchen while I was busy making this cake. He brought it in, then asked me how much I needed and where I needed it. I handed him the 1/4 cup measure and said "here" bumping the measuring bowl with the molasses and buttermilk while I said it. When I turned around again I found the bourbon in the bowl with pecans, brown sugar and butter. oops.

Rather than throw anything out, I figured a little extra bourbon never really hurt anything and it couldn't possibly hurt the pecan streusel layer much, so I simply measured another 1/4 cup and added that to the liquid mixture.

Since the bourbon theme was already going pretty strong with this cake I opted to use my new favorite bourbon glaze on the cake as well, instead of the glaze recipe that went with it originally. In for a penny, in for a pound. And what wonderful, flavorful pound it was. As long as you like bourbon of course.

Moist pumpkin with hints of cinnamon, combined with sugar-crusted sweet/crunchy pecans and the aroma and flavor of vanilla-laced bourbon -- this is a good recipe.

I found the recipe by trolling through tastespotting and the picture there led me to Salt and Chocolate Girl's blog. I added the recipe to my ever-growing list in gmail documents and printed several pumpkin recipes last night since we still had fresh pumpkin puree to use up. This recipe was on the top of the pile I handed Chris and while he did a cursorary look through the rest of the pile, the idea of pecan pie and pumpkin combined in a bundt cake had his immediate attention and the other choices never really stood a chance. Smart man. :)

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bundt Cake

For the Cake –
3 cups of All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
½ teaspoon of baking soda
1/3 cup of buttermilk
¼ cup of bourbon
¼ cup of light molasses
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 ¾ sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups of granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 – 15oz can of packed pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

For the Pecan Layer -
1 cup of pecans, toasted and chopped
½ cup of light brown sugar, packed
¼ stick of unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 12 cup Bundt cake pan with non stick baking spray. In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients for the pecan layer. Stir until all of the sugar is coated with butter and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. In a glass measuring cup or bowl combine the buttermilk, bourbon, molasses and vanilla together and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure the previous egg has been well incorporated before adding the next. Be sure to scrape down the bowl after all of the eggs have been added. With the mixer on low, mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture and half of the pumpkin puree. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and the rest of the buttermilk mixture and pumpkin puree.

Turn off the mixture and stir in the remaining flour by hand. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan in an even a layer as possible. Sprinkle an even layer of the pecan layer over the batter. Put the remaining batter on top of the pecan layer and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter to break up any air bubbles that might be in the batter.

Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

During the last 15 minutes of the baking time make the glaze. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes on a cooling rack then turn it out and glaze it immediately.

Bourbon syrup:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Boil for about 5 minutes

Add 1 T Butter
2 T Bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla

Boil for another 2 minutes, until beginning to thicken and brush the hot glaze onto the still-warm cake.