Recipes

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
Powder sugar for dusting the cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Position the oven rack in the lower third.   Spray a 10 inch pan or a 12 inch Bundt cake pan with vegetable spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Set aside.  Separate the eggs.  Place yolks in a small bowl and put the whites in a large mixing bowl.  In another large bowl, beat the butter until smooth.  Add the brown sugar a bit at a time, beating after each addition.  Add the vanilla and beat for another 3 minutes.   Beat the yolks with a fork and add to the sugar mixture, one-third at a time.  Add the pumpkin puree and beat until smooth.  Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture with a wooden spoon.  Beat just until dry ingredients are incorporated.  Continue to add the remaining flour mixture.  Set aside.

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until soft peaks form.  Gently fold white into the pumpkin batter.  Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake plate.  Once the cake has completely cooled, dust with powder sugar.