Pumpkin & Chocolate Bundt Cake with a Cinnamon Glaze

I've never owned a bundt pan before. I know, hard to believe. But, it's true. This week, I was going to borrow one from a friend to make a cake for a Bake Off, but then saw one for only €7 at Rewe here in Graf and snatched it up.

So for my first bundt cake... I decided on a chocolate and pumpkin combo. I figured it would be best to be safe and instead of doing two batters and making it marbled, I would make one batter with chocolate and pumpkin together.

For the glaze, I spent all morning pondering it... Do I make a vanilla & cinnamon glaze for a more dramatic effect or a thick chocolate ganache for flavor and texture? I'm leaning toward the chocolate because really, you can't go wrong with chocolate. I guess we'll know which one I decided on by the end of this blog! HA!

The cake batter is a little unorthodox in it's ingredients, but trust me the cake will be AMAZINGLY delicious!  It's super dense, moist and the pumpkin flavor is just enough to add some spice to the cake.  It leaves you wondering... mmmm, what is that?

Pumpkin & Chocolate Cake
1 ¾ cup minus 1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon corn starch

1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon espresso powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground gloves
¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk
1 ¼ cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg white, room temperature

¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 f degrees.  Grease the inside of your large, deep bundt pan.
2. Sift together the flour and corn starch in a large bowl.
3. Add the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.  Whisk until well combined.
4. In another large bowl, mix together with an electric mixer the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar.
5. Mix in the eggs one at a time.
6. Add the canola oil, corn syrup and vanilla and mix until combined.
7. Gradually add the flour to the wet mixture.  Fold in the flour mixture until just combined.  Do not over mix.
8. Pour batter into bundt pan.  Pound pan on the counter 2-3 times to help the batter settle and to get any air bubbles out.
9. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a long skewer/stick comes out with no wet batter or just a few crumbs.   You may want to rotate your pan after at least 40 minutes cooking to ensure even baking.
10. Allow to cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.
11. Drizzle glaze over the top allowing it to drip down the sides.
12. Top with mini chocolate chips.
13. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Cinnamon & Sugar Glaze

½ cup packed powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon buttermilk

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup packed powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon buttermilk

mini chocolate chips

1. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, buttermilk and cinnamon.
2. In another small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and buttermilk.
3. Drizzle the cinnamon glaze over the bundt cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
4. Drizzle the sugar glaze over the cinnamon glaze, making sure it drizzles between the cinnamon glaze drizzles.... creating a contrast in colors.
5. Top with mini chocolate chips.
6. Allow the glaze to set before cutting &  serving.
7. Enjoy!