Graveyard Cake

By ltrodrigu

Cook's Note:
This spiced pumpkin cake can be made one day ahead and refrigerated, without the glaze. Several hours before serving, make the glaze and finish the cake.

Ingredients

• For Cake:
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
• 4 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
• For Bleeding Chocolate Glaze:
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• For Espresso Shortbread Headstones:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon finely ground espresso
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, (sifted, then measured)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 

Preparation

Step 1

To Make Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Line with parchment paper; butter lining. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Set pan aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low; alternate between adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Add pumpkin, and beat until completely combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Unmold; peel off parchment. Let cool completely on rack, top side up.

Set cake and rack on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour warm chocolate glaze over cake. Using a small offset spatula, gently smooth glaze over top of cake, letting it drip down sides. Let stand at room temperature, or refrigerate until set. Arrange 6 headstones on top; serve with the remaining headstones.

To Make Bleeding Chocolate Glaze:
Stir together cream and honey in a small saucepan; bring just to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth.

To Make Espresso Shortbread Headstones:
Whisk together flour, salt, and espresso in a large bowl; set aside.

Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Transfer dough to plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk; wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Photocopy the template on this page, and cut it out. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using template and a paring knife, cut dough into 12 headstones. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Bake cookies until set but not browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Let stand until cool but not stiff. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain round tip, such as an Ateco #2, or to a parchment-paper cone. Pipe desired design on cookies.