Introducing the pumpkin spice bundt. Tasting of sugar and spice and all things nice, this delicious seasonal treat features a more-ish maple syrup glaze. Traditionally a Thanksgiving recipe, whip up this dish when the situation calls for cake but you want to plate up something a little unexpected.

Prep time: 45 mins - 1hr 

Cooking time: 90 mins 

Serves 8+ 

Cake

• 425gm pumpkin puree (1 large pumpkin or 2 butternut, see instructions below)
• ½ cup sour cream
• 400gm plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1tsp ground cardamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 450g light brown sugar
• 125gm butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup oil

Glaze

• 1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup
• 15gm butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• Roughly chopped pecan nuts

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180. Halve and deseed the pumpkin. Cut it into 3cm-ish chunks. Put in a shallow baking dish. Roast for 30 mins or until soft and slightly golden on edges. Cool.
2. Puree cooled pumpkin and push through a sieve. Measure out 425gm of puree. Reserve rest for another use. (You can use preprepared pumpkin puree, but not ‘pumpkin pie filling’ instead.)
3. Use around 10gm of the butter to thoroughly oil the Bundt tin, then flour well.
4. In one bowl, whisk all the dried ingredients together. In another bowl, stir to combine the cooled pumpkin puree and the sour cream.
5. In a large bowl, cream the sugar, butter and oil until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Once combined, add the pumpkin/sour cream mixture in batches, mixing well until combined.
6. Put the batter in the tin, tap it on the counter a few time to remove any air bubbles, then smooth the top.
7. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. If the top is getting too browned before the middle is cooked, cover with a loose sheet of foil.
8. Cool in the pan for around 30 minutes. The gently loosen the edges with a palette knife and turn the cake out onto a wire tray to cool.
9. Once the cake is cooled, put it on your serving plate.
10. To make the glaze, put the butter and ¼ cup of maple syrup in a small pan and stir until the butter is melted and the syrup combined. Remove from heat and whisk in the icing sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. 
11. Drizzle the syrup over the cake and top with roughly chopped pecans.

BAKER'S NOTE:

If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, add maple syrup a tablespoon at a time until you have a thin, easily poured glaze.