ginger pumpkin pudding cakes

When I was a freshman in college, my mom mailed some ginger pudding cakes to me. They were small, cute bundt cakes and my roommate and I devoured them like fiends. It truly was one of the most delicious-tasting things ever. I don't know if it was because I felt deprived of good, homemade food instead of all the crap I consumed in college, but these cakes tasted like nectar for the gods. They were dark, rich, flavorful and so incredibly moist, combining the perfect flavors of pumpkin and ginger.

Flipping through a book, I noticed that Martha Stewart had a recipe for ginger pumpkin pudding cakes as well. I decided to try my hand at them to see if they were similar to the ones my mom had made. They were very delicious, but not the same ones my mom had made, which were darker, richer and moister. But this is an excellent, moist cake. They'd be lovely dusted with some powdered sugar or served with homemade whipped cream. They're sweet, simple, and in my opinion, quite elegant.

Ginger Pumpkin Pudding Cakes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the pans
2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup canned pumpkin purée

1. Heat oven to 350°. Using a pastry brush, butter the interiors of six mini Bundt pans. Set aside.


2. Place fresh ginger (the easiest way to peel ginger is with a spoon!) and 3/4 cup hot water in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; strain into a bowl; discard ginger. Add molasses and baking soda to liquid. Set aside.


3. Sift together flour, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and baking powder. Set the mixture aside.

4. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set on medium-high speed, beat remaining 4 tablespoons butter and brown sugar together until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add egg, and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce to low speed, and add pumpkin purée, mixing until just incorporated. Alternately add one quarter of dry ingredients and one third of molasses mixture, ending with dry ingredients. Mix on low speed, scraping bowl after each addition, until incorporated. Transfer mixture to Bundt pans, filling halfway. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

5. Invert Bundt pans onto a sheet pan; tap firmly several times on hard back surface of Bundt pans to release cakes.

6. Serve the pumpkin pudding cakes with whipped cream and garnish with candied ginger and fresh mint, if desired.

(Recipe courtesy of "Martha Stewart Living")