Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake
» Cakes
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 pound pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 2/3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups pecan or walnut pieces
- 1 cup golden raisins
- Confectioner's sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and mix in the sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and eggs. Add the baking powder and baking soda in pinches, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. Stir in thoroughly. Stir in the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa. Stir in the flour, just until blended, then the nuts and raisins. Pour and scrape the batter into the pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on the rack for about 15 minutes more. When cool, dust top with confectioners' sugar, if desired.