Pumpkin Clove Pound Cake with Eggnog Italian Buttercream Frosting

This is the companion recipe to the Chocolate Pound Cake recipe I just posted. It's a great alternative to pumpkin bars and will receive oohs and aahs from family and friends.

This is a time consuming cake to make, taking about 1 1/2 hours. It's so worth it.

For the cake:

3 c extra fine granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (3/4 c)
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
2 3/4 c sifted all purpose flour
1/4 c turbinado sugar
1 T baking powder
1 1/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t table salt
1/8 t ground allspice
1 can (15oz) pure pumpkin
5 T heavy cream
1 T honey
1 T dark rum (optional)
1 T vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 with rack in center.

Cream the sugar and butter together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment on low for 5 minutes.

Add eggs and yolks one at a time, letting each incorporate before adding the next.

Whisk dry ingredients (flour, turbinado sugar, baking powder, cloves, salt and allspice) together in a separate bowl.

Combine wet ingredients (pumpkin, heavy cream, honey, rum and vanilla) in another bowl.

With mixer still on low add the wet and dry ingredients alternately to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with dry. Scrape the sides of the bowl to the bottom and mix on medium speed for 20 additional seconds.

Coat a Bundt pan 3/4 full (don't overfill) with a non-stick flour spray (try the pan release recipe I use) and bake 55-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out nearly clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes then invert onto a flat surface and cool completely.

Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for one day or freeze for up to one month.


Italian Meringue Buttercream

Boil:
1 c extra fine granulated sugar
1/4 c water

Whip; Add:
5 egg whites
1/4 c extra fine sugar

Slowly pour syrup into meringue; Beat in:
4 sticks unsalted butter, cut to tablespoon pieces, at room temperature

Mix in:
1/2 c melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate and 1 t vanilla

Boil sugar and water over medium heat until it reaches 245 degrees (I don't have a candy thermometer so I just watched it very closely and when it started to boil I took it off the burner). As it cooks begin meringue so it will be ready)

Whip whites with a wire whisk in a stand mixer on high until they reach stiff peaks, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in 1/4 c sugar; beat to incorporate.

Slowly pour hot sugar mixture into meringue in a steady stream with mixer on high. Pour between bowl and whisk.

Continue to beat the frosting for 10-12 minutes until the outside of the bowl has reached room temperature and the frosting is thick and glossy white.

Beat in butter by tablespoons; should take 2 minutes. Don't worry if the butter is cooler than the batter and causes separation, just continue to beat and it will come together.

Mix in 2 T dark rum, 1 t vanilla extract and 1/2 t ground mace for eggnog flavor.

To Build:

Split the cake in half horizontally with a long serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion. Cut into the center and continue around the cake. Swirl frosting beyond the edges so it spills out, set top layer and swirl with more frosting.

Sprinkle the frosting with mace or pumpkin pie seasoning or cinnamon if desired.