October 4, 2013

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce

Name: Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: CAKE; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup whole wheat flour (or you could use all white all-purpose flour); 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar (packed (I like to make my own with white sugar and 2 tablespoons of molasses mixed together)); 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 4 teaspoons cinnamon (adjust to your taste); 4 teaspoons ginger (adjust to your taste); 1 15- ounce can pumpkin puree (or just under two cups); 1 cup vegetable oil; 1/3 cup orange juice; 1 cup almond milk (or regular milk); 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE; 12 pieces caramel (I used Kraft); 1 bar of Godiva Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (3.5 oz /100 g); 2 Tablespoons butter; 1/4 cup heavy cream

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Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce is simply divine! A tender pumpkin Bundt filled with warm fall spices and topped with the most decadent salted chocolate caramel sauce.

There has to be a limit to how many bundts a person could bake in a month. Or does there? I tend to prefer baking a bundt (or a ciambella-ring cake-as they’re called in Italy. So to kick off fall, there would have to be a Pumpkin Bundt with Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce. Right?

But it’s not just a special fall bundt to commemorate the beginnings of cooler days (yes, even here in steamy Florida we have been blessed with a slight temperature change). The theme for #BundtaMonth October is Candilicious so let’s get the candy fun started!

I’m not a huge candy fan. I’m not one to eat candies whenever I’m bored or for a snack. If I am going to have a candy, it will most like have caramel in it. Or for sure, if I’m craving a little bite of something sweet, it would also probably be delicious chocolate. So when it came time to get some candy for this bundt cake, I checked in to see what my kids were interested in…big mistake!

I heard requests for marshmallows, Swedish Fish M & M’s and a big request for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Candies that they normally sample on Halloween night were all being dreamed of as starring on this beautiful bundt cake!

I was swaying towards marshmallows and then realized my imagination was taking me towards a s’mores type bundt cake with marshmallow frosting. Everyone was excited but I couldn’t get my mind off of a little caramel! And then I saw the Kraft caramel pieces calling my name and grabbed a bag. That was it…well, almost! I had ideas to incorporate them in the batter and then thought of a caramel sauce. But I’ve made a caramel sauce for a few bundts and thought how to make it a little different? Dark chocolate sea salt…OK! I was in!

On the day I baked this cake as soon as my son walked in the door, he immediately asked me, “Mommy! What’s that good smell??” My daughter declared: “It’s back to pumpkin baking time again! Yay!” I remember with my last pumpkin bundt, everyone was pretty much over the pumpkin baking season. Luckily, we are just starting it here again! The cake is moist. Oh, so moist. So easy to put together.

The trickier part is the caramel sauce. I find making my own caramel sauce much easier than melting caramel candies. I don’t own a microwave and melt them the double boiler method (baine Marie). The sauce is wonderful with the addition of dark chocolate. My daughter said it didn’t really taste like caramel. Maybe next time I’ll add more caramel and less chocolate. Even though it didn’t have a strong caramel flavor, it was loved by all.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce

by Savoring Italy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: about 50-60 minutes

Ingredients (10-12 servings)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or you could use all white all-purpose flour)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed (I like to make my own with white sugar and 2 tablespoons of molasses mixed together)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon (adjust to your taste)
4 teaspoons ginger (adjust to your taste)
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, or just under two cups
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup orange juice
1 cup almond milk (or regular milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

salted caramel sauce

12 pieces caramel (I used Kraft)
1 bar of Godiva Sea Salt Dark Chocolate ( 3.5 oz /100 g)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour your Bundt pan. I personally prefer to use baking spray for Bundt pans.

Pour the rice milk (or milk) into a small bowl and add the apple cider vinegar. Stir it together a little and let it sit for minute while you prep the other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a very large bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, oil, orange juice, and milk until nicely combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients about a cup at a time. Stir well after adding each cup of the dry ingredients using a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate it all together.

Spoon the batter into your prepared bundt pan and smooth down a little with a spatula.

Bake for 1/2 an hour at 350 then lower the heat to 325 and bake for about another 20-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

prepare caramel sauce while cake bakes:

Heat a small pan with water until it boils. Turn low so it is simmering and place a metal bowl on top of the simmer water. Place the caramels, chocolate, butter and cream to the bowl. Stir until melted and smooth. If some of the caramel pieces don’t completely melt, pour over a strainer into another bowl and let cool a little before using.

Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle on the salted chocolate caramel sauce.

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