Warm Pumpkin Cake

• Recipe by Tom Fundaro

Tom Fundaro asked his pastry chef Susan Masch for a pumpkin dessert that "wasn't the ubiquitous créme brûlée." Masch came up with this riff on a traditional English steamed pudding. Warm, soft, spicy and simple, it may be one of the best pumpkin desserts you'll ever eat.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3. 11/8 teaspoons cinnamon
4. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
5. 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
6. 1/8 teaspoon salt
7. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8. 1 cup sugar
9. 2 large eggs
10. 3/4 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin puree
11. 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12. 3 Medjool dates, finely chopped
13. Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Butter a 2-quart soufflé mold. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin puree with the lemon juice, then beat into the egg mixture. Add the dry ingredients and dates and beat slowly until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared mold and smooth the top.
2. Cover the soufflé dish with a sheet of buttered foil, seal and transfer to a large, enameled cast-iron casserole. Pour enough hot water into the casserole to reach halfway up the side of the mold and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the cake is set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the casserole and let cool for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and spoon the cake onto plates. Serve with vanilla ice cream.