Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake with Cranberry Glaze

This cake has Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one. On the one hand the pumpkin makes it quintessentially fall, while on the other hand the cranberry glaze lends itself to Christmas. I see Thanksgiving as the gateway to the Christmas season. I refrain from listening to Christmas music prior to Thanksgiving, though this year I have listened to one Christmas song already (peer pressure) and I regret it. See, I am afraid that if I start any earlier than Thanksgiving I will grow tired of listening to the same songs over and over by Christmas, so every year I try and wait. Also, I find the anticipation to be all part of the fun.

I also try to wait on doing my Christmas shopping, except I may have already started this year, and it was all in the name of coupons! Otherwise I would have waited, promise! I usually end up doing most of my shopping last minute, so this might be the first year I'll be done early, but I probably just jinxed myself by saying that.

At least I didn't start shopping in September when all the stores decided that they would haul out the Christmas decorations even before Halloween. Way. Too. Early.

When do y'all start celebrating the Holiday season?

Also, I'm not quite sold on the color of this glaze, but I guess that's what happens when you leave it up to nature. See, there is not a drop of food coloring in that glaze. Rather, the hot pink is all thanks to few ruby red cranberries.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake with Cranberry Glaze

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup molasses

½ cup sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

8 ounces pumpkin puree

¼ cup milk

Glaze:

¼ cup fresh or frozen cranberries

4 Tablespoons water, divided

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9 by 9 pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, combine oil and molasses until well mixed. Beat in sugars.  Add eggs one at a time, combining after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and milk. Add in half the dry ingredients, mixing on low to combine. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and combine until just mixed. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Once cake has cooled, prepare glaze by placing cranberries and 2 Tablespoons water in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 -8 minutes or until berries are softened and mostly broken up. Place cooked berries in blender with remaining 2 Tablespoons water. Blend until smooth. In a medium bowl whisk powdered sugar and blended berries until smooth, add more sugar if a thicker glaze is desired.

Cake Recipe Adapted from Bakingdom

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