Pumpkin Pound Cake with Salted Caramel and Chocolate drizzle

So Halloween has passed and you have a handful of pumpkins lying around. Yes you could continue to display them as decoration through the fall months or you could use them to make this divinely decadent pumpkin dessert! Cooking and pureeing pumpkins is actually quite simple, free (when using your leftover decorations), much tastier than store bought and saves you a trip to the market. Any excess puree you have is easy to store in zip lock baggies and freeze until you get another craving for this dessert...and you will, I promise! You might even have some cans of pumpkin puree on hand in your cupboard from last season and its always fine to use that instead. But if you don't, and your wondering what to do with your little orange Halloween decorations and how to incorporate them into this yummy dessert, then follow along.

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Salted Caramel 
and Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients:

Homemade Pumpkin Puree:
1 pumpkin

Pound Cake-

1 15 oz can of pure pumpkin puree or 15 oz of fresh pumpkin puree from recipe above

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter softened

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cups buttermilk
white chocolate and milk chocolate for drizzle

Salted Caramel-

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbl whole mil
4 Tbl unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Pumpkin Puree-
If you are planing on making your own homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe then continue reading. If you plan on using store bought then skip ahead. Preheat your oven to 400 degree. Wash your pumpkin and cut in half. Discard seeds and pith. Cut your pumpkin halves into smaller pieces , trying your best to make them equal sizes as to ensure an even baking process. Lightly coat your pumpkin shells with a bit of olive oil and place upside down in a large roasting pan. Add a little water to the pan to ensure that the edges do not start to caramelize. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until your pumpkin pieces are tender. Let cool for at least 10 minutes and then scoop out flesh and place into a food processor. Blend until pumpkin flesh becomes pureed. The puree might be a bit watery but you can strain your puree or use a cheese cloth to discard excess water. Your puree is now ready to use! You can always place extra puree in the freezer to use at a later time.

Pound Cake-

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your bundt pan. I tried my new mini bundt pan this time, isn't it cute! Drain your pumpkin puree by placing the puree into a very fine strainer and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Scrape the drained puree into a bowl. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla and combine. In a separate bowl combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately into the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.

Once removed from oven poke holes with a toothpick on top of cake (this will be for the caramel sauce to fall into later). Cool for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan and transferring to a wire wrack to continue cooling.

Salted Caramel-
While cake is cooling begin to make your caramel sauce by combining all ingredients in a small pan and bringing to a boil. Be sure to stir constantly for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and immediately drizzle over bundt cake allowing for the caramel to ooze into each hole and thoroughly drape the cake. Allow the caramel sauce to set before drizzling with chocolate. 

Melt your chocolate and white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in increments of 30 seconds until creamy and melted. Drizzle cake with melted chocolate, allowing time to set before drizzling with milk chocolate.

Serve with a giant glass of milk and enjoy!