Southern Living Pumpkin Pound Cake

Southern Living Pumpkin Pound Cake is a quick, easy and simple cake recipe that’s perfect for fall.  It’s the perfect melody of pumpkin, brown sugar and fall spices.  A great addition to your autumn recipe collection.

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PUMPKIN CAKE FROM SOUTHERN LIVING

Most Southerners consider Southern Living magazines and cookbooks sacred (The Israelites had their sacred cow and we southern cooks and bakers have our Southern Living). So, when I wanted to post another pumpkin cake recipe, guess where I went? That’s right. I pulled out my mom’s 1971 classic Southern Living Cakes cookbook and found this perfect Southern Living Pumpkin Pound Cake.

PERFECTLY SPICED PUMPKIN CAKE

This cake turned out delicious. It’s definitely a tasty, warm fall dessert you’ll want to bake, even if you’re not from the southern U.S.

What I found unique about it was, this scrumptious cake was only moderately pumpkin spiced. Seasoned with pumpkin pie spice and cloves, the warm toasty fall flavor was clearly there, but it was not strong.

Because it’s not exploding with pumpkin spice everyone will love this pumpkin cake (I promise it’s as good as or better than Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake). It has just enough spice for those of us who love potently spiced pumpkin sweets and not to much spice for those who don’t appreciate high caliber pumpkin spice.

Try this perfectly spiced pumpkin cake this fall and discover it’s just right for everyone.

PUMPKIN CAKE INGREDIENTS

• Butter – For best results use real butter at room temperature.
• Sugar – You can use brown or white sugar or a combination of both.
• Egg – For best results use room temperature
• Hot Mashed Pumpkin
• All Purpose Flour
• Salt
• Soda
• Allspice or Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Ground Cloves
• Chopped Nuts – For extra flavor I toasted my nuts. See instructions for toasting nuts below.

RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN CAKE

• Grease a loaf pan and preheat oven to 350.
• Cream butter and sugar and add egg.
• Stir in pumpkin
• Mix in dry ingredients
• Add nuts
• Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Let cool 10 to 15 minutes

HOW TO TOAST NUTS

Toasting the nuts exponentially brings out the flavor of the nuts.  It draws the natural oils to the surface, which enhances the rich flavor of the nuts.

Here are three methods to toast your nuts, which I found in this post on toasting nuts from The Spruce Eats.

• The Skillet Method 
  • In a skillet cook over medium heat in a even layer.  
  • Shake the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon.
  • Consistently turn the nuts until they are brown and fragrant.
  • Move them to a plate to cool as soon as they are browned and done.
• The Oven Method
  • Preheat oven to 350 and place nuts in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, periodically stirring and turning.
  • When done move nuts to a plate.
• The Microwave Method
  • Put one cup of nuts on a plate.
  • Microwave 3 to 4 minutes, uncovered.
  • They will not be browned, but should have the nutty smell and taste.

HOW DO YOU KEEP NUTS FROM SINKING IN A CAKE?

How many of us have made a cake with nuts and all the nuts sunk to the bottom?  The cake is still good, but it’s just not a sexy look and it would be better if the nuts were dispersed evenly.

Here’s how to prevent that:

• Place the nuts in a zippered bag or sealed container with one to two tablespoons of flour.  
• Shake the bag or container so the flour lightly covers the nuts.
• Fold the nuts in last, just before you put the cake in the oven.

This works in any type of cake.  The flour helps suspend the nuts in the batter while it bakes.

HOW TO FREEZE POUND CAKE

It tastes just as delicious, if not more so, after serving time in the freezer.

To freeze the cake or a portion of the cake:

• Cool the cake completely
• Wrap the cake 2 or 3 times in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.  
• Put in large freezer storage bag.  

To freeze in slices:

• You can wrap your slices individually in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or only aluminum foil.  Then place them in a freezer storage bag or container.
• You can also slice the cake and put slices of parchment paper  between the slices.  Then wrap the sliced cake just like wrapping the whole cake or portion of the cake above.

MORE AUTUMN THEME CAKES

Sweet Potato Pound Cake Recipe

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Apple Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Applesauce Cake

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Vintage Spice Cake