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
-
Details
Servings 13
Adapted from marthastewart.com
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.
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