Spooktacular Pumpkin Pie Poundcake

Pound cakes have been around a long time.  They are often a staple in the Southern region of the United States at picnics and potlucks where sour cream may be an added ingredient; in Great Britain, they're called Sponge cakes or Madeira Cake and consist of castor sugar, butter, self-rising flour and eggs in equal parts; and in France, they're known as "quatre-quarts" which means, four quarters and uses the same quantity of ingredients, but usually no fruits added; and in Germany, "Eischwerkuchen" (Ei=egg and schwer=heavy) and it means all the proportions of the other ingredients weigh as much as the eggs together!

My mother made lots of pound cakes--traditional vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and black walnut, but I never remember her baking one with pumpkin.  I love pumpkin in the fall and this one has a particular dense consistency that reminded me instantly of pie instead of cake--hence the name!

Spooktacular Pumpkin Pie Poundcake
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree'
5 large eggs
1 T pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 cups chopped nuts (I used pistachios, but walnuts, or pecans would be great)
Don't preheat the oven! 
Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with a baking spray and set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese thoroughly.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.  Add the sugars and beat again on medium speed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until fluffy.  Add the canned pumpkin puree' and mix to combine.  (The batter may take on a "curdled" look...don't panic!)

Add the flour, salt, and nuts (if using) and mix just until it's all combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing once more.

Spoon batter into the prepared Bundt pan.  

Place the cake in a cold oven, then, turn the temperature to 325F-degrees Convection baking (if you have convection or just Bake).  Set the timer for 90 minutes.  Putting the cake in an oven that wasn't preheated is new for me.  I experimented with making popovers last night by putting the pan in a cold oven and they turned out perfect...so what the heck, I thought, let's see how a pound cake does!!

What do you think?  I maybe on to something here, as long as I gauge my oven temperature to this method:-D

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 T Karo light syrup
2-3 T very hot water
1/2 tsp. Orange Juice Powder

I love the combination of orange and pumpkin and decided to try a little of this new product I found at King Arthur catalogue.  If you don't have it, you can use about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. orange extract--just don't make it too over powering.

It's actually been a pretty warm day here and we're heading towards setting a record for no rain fall--Yes, this is the Pacific Northwest:-)  I know my mom would have loved this and of course, Kelly may have asked for this as a change up to her usual birthday Pumpkin Pie. Enjoy!