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Pumpkin-Chocolate Harvest Cake with Bourbon-Pecan Glaze

A cake lover’s Thanksgiving alternative to pumpkin pie with the added bonus of chocolate!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bourbon, bundt cake, chocolate, dessert, pecans, pumpkin, Thanksgiving
Servings: 10 servings

Equipment

  • 10 cup Bundt Pan I used Nordic Ware Autumn Wreath Bundt Pan

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cups butter softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 Tablespoon water

Bourbon-Pecan Glaze

  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp bourbon (substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla if preferred)
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour bundt pan, set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until creamy.
  • Add egg and egg whites, mix well.
  • Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and a 1/2 cup water. Mix on low speed until blended, scraping sides of bowl often. Increase speed to medium for another 2 minutes.
  • Remove about 3/4 cup of the batter, place in small bowl, set aside.
  • Spoon remaining batter into bundt pan.
  • To reserved batter add cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon water. Stir to combine.
  • Place spoonfuls of chocolate batter on top of pumpkin batter.
  • Using a knife, swirl chocolate batter into pumpkin batter to marble.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Cool for 10 minutes in pan, remove from pan to invert onto wire rack and let cool completely

Bourbon-Pecan Glaze

    • In small saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter andmaple syrup. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 2minutes.
    • Stir in pecans. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon. Pourwarm glaze over cake immediately. Makes about  1/2 cup.

    Notes

    • For more even marbling, pour half the pumpkin batter in the pan, spoon in the chocolate batter, add the remaining pumpkin batter, then swirl.
    Serve with Nutter Butter and Hersey Kisses Acorns to wreath the cake if desired:
    • Acorn Caps: Mini Nutter Butter Bites topped with Butterscotch Morsels
    • Peanut butter for "glue"
    • Hersey Kisses
    Substitute frosting of choice or melted chocolate for peanut butter if desired.