The Flavors of Fall in a Cake: Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Celebrate fall with a splurge-worthy dessert, Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Cake. The flavors of fall in a cake with a Maple Glaze and Sugared Pecans and Pepitas.

The flavors of fall in cake!

The base flavor of the cake is pumpkin with a filling of apple, cranberry and toasted pecans.

If that’s not enough to tempt your taste buds, it has a maple glaze topping with sugared pecans and pumpkin seeds!

I saw this recipe for Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Cake in the Splurge-Worthy Thanksgiving Desserts in the November issue of Southern Living Magazine and couldn’t wait to try it!

We are not big dessert eaters at our house, so I was waiting for an occasion to make it. I made it to send with my Mother-in-Law to a Thanksgiving Open House yesterday and it did not disappoint!

Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Cake, recipe courtesy of Southern Living

Ingredients

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans 
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples 
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
1/2 cup finely chopped sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened 
4 large eggs 
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
3 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Sugared Pecans and Pepitas
Maple Glaze

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted, stirring halfway through. Cool 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

2. Toss diced apples in 2 Tbsp. melted butter to coat in a medium bowl; add cranberries, next 2 ingredients, and toasted pecans, and toss until well blended.

3. Beat granulated sugar and 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla; beat just until blended.

4. Stir together 3 cups flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Spoon half of batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan. Spoon apple mixture over batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border around outer edge. Spoon remaining batter over apple mixture.

5. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely (about 2 hours).

6. Meanwhile, prepare Sugared Pecans and Pepitas.

7. Prepare Maple Glaze; immediately spoon onto cooled cake. Arrange pecans and pepitas on cake.

Sugared Pecans and Pepitas

1 cup pecan halves and pieces
1/2 cup roasted, salted shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together pecan halves and pieces, pepitas, and melted butter. Spread in a single layer in a 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven; toss with sugar. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).

Maple Glaze

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter 
1 tablespoon milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup powdered sugar

Bring maple syrup, butter, and milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken and cool slightly. Use immediately.

The only changes I would make next time is to reduce the amount of sugar in the maple glaze, which we thought was too sweet.

A beautiful and moist cake, perfect for your Thanksgiving table!

Happy Thanksgiving and

 Keep Calm and Bundt On :)

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