Dear Pumpkin,

Well, friends, the joke's on me. Remember my silly comments about all the pumpkin being gone and all then everyone being out of luck because I bought all the canned pumpkin? Okay, so it took me three grocery store trips to get my hands on one single can of pumpkin just so I could make this dreamy cake. Canned pumpkin is sold out EVERYWHERE. It's a hot mess. (And, as it turns out, it's NOT just my fault! There are actually other people out there who are trying to buy pumpkin! Appalling!)

Since I discovered this cake, I've made it twice. It's a big cake, so be prepared to have a lot of cake-loving someones to share it with! I usually find myself surrounded by a zillion pumpkin recipes at this time of year, including a great many breads and muffins and pies. This year, I have found this one, and it, I think, is better than all the rest, and I can say with confidence that this will be my go-to recipe for pumpkin sweets this season.

ROCKtober Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake
thanks to Jenna for this recipe, which I sort of mauled a bit
and thanks to Jason for inventing Rocktober

for cake:
1 C chopped pecans
3 C flour
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 T ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
½ t powdered ginger
¼ t ground cloves
1 C butter, softened
1 C brown sugar
2/3 C white sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 can (approx 16 oz.) pumpkin
1 t vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

for glaze:
¼ C butter
½ C white sugar
2 T water
2 T bourbon or rum

Make the cake!
•Grease bundt pan and sprinkle pecans over bottom.
•Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in medium bowl.
•Add eggs and beat well. Add pumpkin & vanilla and beat well.
•Add dry ingredients and mix well. Batter will be thick!
•Spoon batter into pan and drop from 6-8 inches onto a hard surface in order to get the air bubbles out.
•Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 60 minutes, or until a wooden pick comes out clean. (Watch
carefully, as this cake can dry out in the oven very quickly!)
•Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Make the glaze!
•Melt butter in small saucepan, Stir in ½ C sugar and 2 T water, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. •Remove from heat and pour ½ of the glaze over cake.
•Let cake stand for 5 minutes and then invert onto serving plate.
•Make holes in top of the cake and pour on the remaining glaze.