This recipe uses a bundt pan, which has a unique
ring shape. It is a
fancy tube pan created in 1950 by an American, H. David Dalquist.
The story goes that a group of Minneapolis women wanted a better pan for baking their bundkuchen. They went to
Dalquist's company, Northland Aluminum Products, with their problem and he
created a ring shaped tube pan with fluted sides made from cast aluminum.
He named the pan "bundt" (by adding the letter 't' to the word
"bund" which is German for "gathering"). The beauty of this pan is that the inner tube conducts the heat
into the center of the batter so it cooks evenly, which
is especially good for heavy cake batters. If using a dark colored bundt
pan, reduce the oven temperature 25 F (15 C) as dark colored pans absorb
more of the energy coming from the oven walls.
This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite Canadian cookbook
authors, Susan Mendelson. Her book, 'Still Nuts About Chocolate' was
published in 1992 and it is just full of delicious chocolate recipes.
Everything from sauces to cookies, cakes, pies, candy, and puddings. Now,
a few notes on ingredients for this Pumpkin Cake. One ingredient called for
in this recipe, that you may not be familiar with, is wheat bran. It adds
a mild earthy taste and coarse flaky texture to this cake. Wheat
Bran is the outer layer (shell) of the wheat kernel and even when ground
it is not considered a flour but a fiber. Wheat bran can be
found in most grocery stores (on the baking isle or in the organic
section) or else in health food stores or on line.
I admit that I normally use canned pumpkin puree in this recipe, as I
find it almost as good as fresh. But if you want to make
your own puree, use the smaller pumpkin varieties
like Sugar Pie, Baby Bear, or Cheese Pumpkin (approximately 5-7 lbs., 2 1/2
- 3 1/2 kg.). To make the puree, first cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise,
remove seeds and stringy fibers, and then place cut-side down on a greased
baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for approximately 45
minutes to 1 1/4 hours (depending on size) or until easily pierced with a
knife. Then scoop out the pulp and puree in a food processor until smooth. To
extract all the liquid, strain through a cheesecloth lined strainer. Cool
the puree before using. You will need 2 cups (480 ml) for this pumpkin
cake.
