All-In-One Holiday (Bundt) Cake

Can I call myself a baker if I do not own a bundt pan?

Whenever I see that word bundt I think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the husband's parents bring the Greek parents a bundt and they not only had no idea how to repeat the word Bundt but also had no clue what to do with it, so they stuck a plant in the center. Boon? Boon - t? Buoount? Whatever, find someplace for this thing.

Anyway.

I have a habit of rearranging stores when I am shopping. (Sorry to anyone who works in retail!) Target, I rearrange the heck of on a weekly basis. Bed Bath and Beyond - monthly. You know how it is -- walk in and decide you can't live unless you have the eggplant purse with matching scarf. Continue to the shoes, ooh. Those are cute, $20 throw em in the cart! Then onto books and movies, they're only 10-15 bucks, can't decide between 2 - get them both! Then on to home goods, a bundt pan! I need one! In the cart it goes.

Then I remember why I came to Target in the first place - prescription, shampoo, toilet paper, garbage bags. Ooh. Combined $20, maybe I should put something back. So the movies go back, right next to the hairspray. Do I really need these shoes. Sigh. Longing stare. I do! I really really do. Maybe next paycheck if I really want them. Sigh. Damn. Ok, they go back next to the candles. Next, the purse and scarf follow.

Then, standing amongst the pretty plates, I start to read the books and decide.. should I buy them here, or wait to get them used for $2 on amazon. Ok, I'll get one. And the other will go right next to this pretty silver platter. And the bundt pan. I really do need one. I get up to the register, decide it can wait, but don't want them to give me dirty looks for putting it in the checkout line, so I put it next to where the eggplant purse once was.

And that, good people, is Store Rearranging 101. Leave the store with exactly what you went for, nothing more. :)

Here's another thing. Remember my "gimme somma dat" cookbook I got for my birthday? About a month later I realized there's a whole blog movement around this book! It's called Tuesdays with Dorie. Last Monday I wanted to bake so I went thru the book, and picked out the All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake. Little did I know, I went to the TWD website afterwards and they are making the same thing. The dilemma I find myself in, is do I follow their rules of not posting the recipe? I'm not part of the club so I'm not bound by rules... so I'm gonna be a rebel... here it is!! Cue the Billy Idol music.

Oh yeah, and for obvious reasons, I made mine in a springform pan!

All-In-One Holiday (Bundt) Cake

Recipe by Dorie Greenspan

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

pinch of salt

1 tsp ground ginger

10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 large apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

1 cup cranberries, halved or coarsely chopped

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and ginger, set aside.

Beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add pumpkin and chopped apple, don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Still on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. With rubber spatula, stir in the cranberries and pecans. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 60 minutes or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar.