Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze

Tis the season of holiday cheer, aka the season of consumerism and gluttony.

Which is convenient for someone with a food blog because my “market” (in quotations, because making money from The Gourmet Gourmand is currently purely speculative..) seems to be going wild for Christmas-y treats this time of year.
As a kid I was never a fan of the “spiced” genre of Christmas treats.  I was much more into my grandma’s sugar cookies with sprinkles, or, let’s be real, anything chocolate.  I don’t know when exactly my tastes for spiced baked-goods developed, but it’s definitely one of those flavors that now screams holiday to me, and, as an adult, it’s now the flavor that I crave this time of year, not just santa-shaped milk chocolate candies.

(Although, let’s be real, there will always be a place in my heart for santa-shaped milk chocolate candies). Now, I wish I could say that I was “making this for a party” or “taking this gorgeous cake to a holiday potluck.”  But no.  I made this gingerbread bundt cake with maple glaze purely because I wanted more sugar in my life, and I am (only slightly) embarrassed to confess this on the internet.

Also Dave claims to like spice cake as well…. so maybe this was an act of generosity..?

The cake was adapted from a Chowhound.com recipe for gingerbread loaf.  But, naturally, I decided to double the recipe and make it into a bundt cake… because, you know, more is better.

And then what’s a girl to do, but douse the entire thing in a sweet and spiced maple glaze?  Here are the reasons you need this cake in your life:

1) It’s a bundt cake.  So it’s super easy.  And festive.  (Despite what My Big Fat Greek Wedding lead us all to believe).

2) It’s aggressively spiced and includes 2 tablespoons of powdered ginger.  If that doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will.

3) It’s so so so moist.  Which is how all cakes should be, and this one absolutely delivers.

4) That. maple. glaze.  Confession time- after making this cake I am now determined to find numerous ways to sneak more “maple glaze” into my life.  It’s that good, I swear.

So if that doesn’t sell you, I hope my images will.  Because despite the fact that I am not personally delighting anyone but myself (and maybe Dave if he’s quick) with this Gingerbread cake, I do think that your friends, office mates, family, and santa will be so pleased with you if you show up bearing this cake in tow.

Time for me to go have another slice… 🙂

Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze

Adapted from Chowhound and The Comfort of Cooking

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 16 tablespoons 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 4 eggs

_For the Maple Glaze_

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare a 10-15 cup (large) bundt pan by carefully greasing and flouring. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Whisk or sift to eliminate lumps. Set aside.
• In a measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter. Using a hand mixer, cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add molasses and beat until combined. Add eggs and beat until combined.
• Next, alternating, add about 1/3 portion of flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Then add about ½ of the buttermilk- vanilla mixture and mix. Repeat until all ingredients are fully incorporated into the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Smooth the batter with a spatula. Tap bundt pan on counter and swivel a few times to eliminate any air bubbles.
• Baked in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of bundt comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
• Let bundt cake cool on a cooling rack for about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and allspice.
• When cake is cool, drizzle glaze over the top of the bundt cake.