This moist cake combines the fruits, nuts, and spices from the New World that the Spanish conquistadores discovered in 1508. Chocolate was part of this Mesoamerican tableau. Brown sugar and ginger arrived much later, but this cake pays homage to the riches of the original jungles and river valleys.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 (9-inch) bundt cake

　　

Chocolate Choices:

Nestlé Crunch (which adds puffed rice crunch to the glaze), Cadbury Roast Almond chocolate bar (which adds the crunch of almond pieces), or Endangered Species milk chocolate

　　

Cake:

2 cups cake flour

　　1 tablespoon baking soda

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

　　1 scant teaspoon grated fresh ginger

　　4 large eggs

　　2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

　　1 cup vegetable oil

　　1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin puree or 1 (15-ounce) can

　　1 tablespoon vanilla extract

　　1 tablespoon dark rum

　　1/2 cup cocoa nibs

　　1 cup pecans, broken into small pieces

　　

Glaze:

8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

　　1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

　　2 tablespoons milk

　　1 tablespoon light corn syrup

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a standard Bundt cake pan with oil or butter, then dust flour on the greased inside of the pan. Fluted Bundt pans, especially, need a lot of grease for the cake to release.

　　

Step 2

To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and brown sugar with a whisk until light and fluffy. Add the vegetable oil and pumpkin puree and stir until smooth. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until it is absorbed. Then add the rest of the flour mixture followed by the vanilla, rum, cocoa nibs, and pecans. Switch to a rubber spatula to stir the mixture until smooth. Use the rubber spatula to scoop the batter into the prepared pan.

　　

Step 4

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs, not batter. Allow the cake to cool in the pan to room temperature before inverting in onto a wire rack.

　　

Step 5

To make the glaze, combine the chocolate, butter, milk, corn syrup, and salt in a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of simmering water over medium heat and stir as the ingredients melt together. Pour the glaze over the cake after the cake has cooled to room temperature. You’ll have extra glaze left over, which you can pour into the center of the cake or save to serve with plated slices.

　　Chocolate Bliss