Pumpkin Cake with Pistachio Glaze

Time: 1 1/2 hours
Serves: 12

I’m a sucker for pumpkin anything! This cake tastes like a spiked pumpkin latte and the pistachio glaze adds a flaweless “wow” factor indeed!

Pumpkin Cake with Pistachio Glaze

INGREDIENTS - Cake

2 cups light brown sugar, packed

½ cup unsalted butter, soft but cool

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée

¼ cup Maker’s Mark bourbon

½ cup sour cream

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoons ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

INGREDIENTS - Glaze

2/3 cup whole milk

1/3 cup chopped pistachios

1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar

3 Tablespoons chopped pistachios, for garnish

METHOD

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously coat a 12-cup capacity bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and flour.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine brown sugar, butter and olive oil. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg. Add the pumpkin purée, bourbon and sour cream, and mix until well combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and black pepper until well combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and firmly tap the pan on the counter top a few times to release air bubbles.
Bake the cake until golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
Set the cake on a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then use the tip of a knife to loosen the edges and invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely before glazing.
While the cake cools, make the glaze: Place the milk and chopped pistachios in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Simmer mixture for 8 minutes, remove from heat and cover. Allow the mixture to steep for 1 hour. Strain nuts from milk. Discard nuts; reserve milk.
Stir powdered sugar into the milk, a bit at a time, until all the sugar has been added and mixture is smooth.
Pour glaze over the cooled cake and finish with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.