Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake with Chocolate Glaze

This was one of the first new pumpkin recipes I tried and it gave me a very promising start! Pumpkin makes things moist; so does buttermilk, so you know this baby's not going to be dry. And if there's one flavor I do love with pumpkin, it's chocolate. They really do go great together, as you'll see in at least half the recipes this week.

It also doesn't hurt that this cake is gorgeous - golden orange from the pumpkin swirled with dark earthy chocolate makes it delectable to both eyes and tongue. If you're not a fan of pumpkin pie, this cake is a great alternative for your holiday table.Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake:
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2/3 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan.

2. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla. Scrape half the mixture into another bowl.

3. To make pumpkin batter: Beat pumpkin into half the butter mixture until well blended. In another bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed or fold in with a flexible spatula just until blended.

4. To make chocolate batter: In another bowl, mix remaining 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and the cocoa. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the other half of the butter mixture (starting and ending with flour mixture), beating after each addition just until blended.

5. Spoon half the pumpkin batter into prepared Bundt pan. Drop half the chocolate batter by spoonfuls over, but not entirely covering, pumpkin batter. Repeat to spoon remaining pumpkin and chocolate batters into pan. Gently run the blade of table knife around the center several times to swirl batters.

6. Bake about 55 to 75 minutes, until a wood skewer inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cake cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto rack, lift off pan, and allow cake to cool completely.

7. Prepare glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:
4 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 T butter
1 tsp corn syrup

1. In a heatproof bowl or top of double boiler, combine all ingredients. Bring an inch or two of water to boil in a pan (or bottom of double boiler), then remove from heat. Place chocolate mixture over water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 10 minutes.

2. Pour warm chocolate glaze over top of the cake, letting it drop down sides. Sprinkle glaze with chopped roasted peanuts or pumpkin seeds, if desired. Let stand until glaze is set, about 2 hours, or chill about 30 minutes. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
Recipe from Sunset magazine, November 2003