Pumpkin Bundt Cake With Chocolate-Cinnamon Swirl

Pumpkin season has arrived and is in full swing so here’s my favorite pumpkin recipe this year, a pumpkin bundt cake with a chocolate-cinnamon swirl. I find it fascinating that pumpkin goes practically unspoken about for 10 months out of the year, only to creep up in September and hit hard in October. From pumpkin-spiced lattes to pumpkin-laced baked goods, the pumpkin craze is everywhere. I do get it, pumpkin and Halloween go hand-in-hand. But for all the love of pumpkin out there (and by love, I mean slight obsession), I’m a bit surprised that it all but disappears for the rest of the year.

The name “pumpkin” originated from the Greek word for “large melon” which is “pepon.”  The French changed “pepon” to “pompon.” The English changed “pompon” to “pumpion.” American colonists changed “pumpion” to “pumpkin.” Pumpkin seeds themselves have origins that date back to 7500 BC, although these first pumpkins did not resemble the pumpkins we have come to love. The first pumpkins were actually small, hard, and had a more bitter flavor. Sometime around the 1800’s, the modern-day pumpkin pie became a tradition, but even then the pies were made from the pumpkin shells seasoned with ginger-spiced milk and roasted–not the flesh.

As a pumpkin lover, I had to throw my hat into the ring with this pumpkin bundt cake with a chocolate-cinnamon swirl. This is a fantastic seasonal cake that is perfect for breakfast or brunch. A moist, fluffy pumpkin bundt laced with just the right amount of spices hit the mark for flavors of the season. The chocolate-cinnamon swirled within this rustic cake complements the pumpkin flavors without overwhelming it. When paired with a cup of good coffee, a slice of this seasonal bundt cake is deeply satisfying any day of the week.

Fun Facts About Pumpkins

• Pumpkins are a member of the Cucurbita family, which includes squash and cucumbers.
• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
• Pumpkin flowers are edible.
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs, and took six hours to bake.
• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
• The Connecticut field variety is the traditional American pumpkin.
• Pumpkins are 90% water.
• 80% of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
• Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them, and made mats.

A slice of this seasonal pumpkin bundt cake hits the spot with its comforting, autumnal flavors. The tender crumb, enriched with warm spices and velvety pumpkin, evokes a sense of nostalgia and coziness, something I personally welcome this time of year.