In the first days of fall a wistful, melancholy always sets with the heaviness of a leaden sky. As much as we want to hold on to the warmth of the carefree season, summer is leaving us with jaunty big steps as cold air meanders through every crevice and only layers of blankets and clothing can hold up the spirits. These are the days when I recurrently replay in my head how it would be to be living in a year-round warm climate like Florida, where the sun shines without respite and children don`t know what the change of season means.

But it only takes a few days until I am learning to embrace the brisk dawn of a new season. Crisp air is clearing paths for deeper thoughts: More books, reading under candle light, long walks in veiled parks and a new euphoria for the baking season that starts. Once you embrace autumn with its golden light and inspiring flavours, there is no season that brings more cozy delight.

This pumpkin spice cake is drizzled and glazed with the flavours of fall. The soft and succulent dough seasoned with cinnamon nutmeg, ginger and cloves is my favourite sweet treat for this time of the year. While baking, a lovely aroma of pumpkin spice fills your kitchen with a heavenly scent! You can either bake this cake with all homemade ingredients from scratch (see pumpkin spice & puree recipe blow) or make use of already prepared ingredients, depending on the effort and time you want to invest, both is perfectly fine.

Glazed with homemade maple glaze, you can only FALL in love with this flavourful autumn cake and enjoy the most cozy season of the year!

INGREDIENTS

• 200g (1 cup) butter
• 200g (1 cup) brown sugar
• 360g (3 cups) flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin spice*
• 350 g (1 1/2 cups) pumpkin puree**
• Pinch of salt
• Pecan nuts and pumpkin seeds for decoration

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180°C)
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat, alternating with pumpkin puree until everything is well combined.
5. Bake for about 50-60 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Drizzle maple glaze over the cake and decorate with chopped pecan nuts and pumpkin seeds.

Drizzled and glazed with fall flavours

*Homemade Pumpkin Spice

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

**Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Cook 350g (1 1/2 cups) of diced pumpkin with some water, preferably Hokkaido pumpkin (you don`t need to remove the skin) for about 20 minutes. When the pumpkin is soft, puree with a mixer or blender.

Maple Glaze

• 50 g (1/4 cup) brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 120g (1 cup) confectioner`s sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt

In a small saucepan, bring brown sugar, 2 tbsp. cream, butter and maple syrup to simmer over medium heat. Whisk constantly for 1 minute and pour into a medium bowl, let it cool slightly and whisk in the sifted confectioner`s sugar, salt and remaining 1 tbsp. of cream until smooth.