PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE with WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

When I was flipping through Anne Byrn's The Cake mix Doctor RETURNS cookbook, one of my most recent purchases at an estate sale, I noticed she had several recipes that called for a spice cake mix. Since I didn't have any, I made sure I bought several the last time I went to the grocery store. Then when I needed something to take to the thrift shop (HPC Thrift Shop), I had a hard time trying to decide which cake to make. I finally chose this Pumpkin Spice Cake and thought I would make the White Chocolate Glaze for it. 

I loved the way the cake looked when I took it out of the pan. I have a tube pan that I have had forever that has a slight swirl design and when I am making a "Bundt cake" and want a smoother look, I will use it. 

As I stated in the recipe, I was working on a quilt while I was making the glaze and I had the cookbook opened to the page for the cake recipe instead of the glaze recipe and read to let it cool for 15 minutes before you cut the cake and serve. Needless to say, I stopped reading too soon and didn't read "before you cut the cake and serve". That was a terrible mistake as far as the finished cake looking like it did in the picture in the cookbook. I made it work (I just used a spreader to apply the glaze instead of a spoon as the recipe stated.) and the volunteers at Hillcrest didn't know the difference. I am anxious to try it again but do it right and see how it turns out.

Click here for a printable version of just the cake and glaze.

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE w/WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

1/2     cup finely chopped pecans
1        package plain spice cake mix
1        cup canned pumpkin
2/3     cup milk
1/3     cup oil
4        large eggs
1        teaspoon ground cinnamon
White Chocolate Glaze (below)

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray and then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour.

Scatter the pecans in the bottom of the pan. Set the pan aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs, and cinnamon. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds on low just to combine.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium and continue to beat another 1-1/2 minutes.

Scrape the sides of the bowl again.

Pour cake batter into pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 45 to 50 minutes.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes.

Run a knife along the edge of the pan and

invert the cake onto another wire rack. Let the cake cool completely 25 to 30 minutes longer. (Isn't it pretty with all those finely chopped pecans?)



Meanwhile make the White Chocolate Glaze.

WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

1/2     cup granulated sugar
1/4     cup milk
4        tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1        cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips

Place the sugar, milk, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and

let come to a boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir until the butter melts, 1 minute longer.

(The butter had melted during the first 2 minutes for me, but I continued to stir and cook it one more minute.)

Remove the pan from the heat and

stir in the white chocolate chips until they are melted. Let the glaze cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then spoon it over the cooled cake.

(Personal note: I was multi-tasking and somewhere thought I read to let it cool for 15 minutes, which is what I did. It covered the cake, but not as easily as I think it was supposed to. I definitely couldn't spoon it over the cooled cake. Didn't ruin the taste of it either.

The finished cake just didn't look quite like it did in the cookbook. It wasn't a smooth glaze. 😉)

Ready to take to the thrift shop...