Quick and Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake

Poll five people you know. Poll 10 random people you don't know. Ask them: "What does pumpkin spice taste like?" I'd put money on them hitting you with things like "cloying," "sweeeet," and "not anything, really? I guess it smells nice?" We don't have time to get into the commercialization of "pumpkin spice" or the associations people have with it because of said commercialization, but..."pumpkin spice" isn't great.

Pumpkin spice, however, really can be.

This recipe takes the idea of that fall flavor profile and deepens it, leaning less on sugar and canned pumpkin and more on the bold intricacies of ground cloves, cinnamon, and allspice, and the punch of fresh ginger that ground ginger often lacks. Whereas most cakes and baked goods in this vein go hard on pumpkin and sugar, this one uses those flavors as a jumping-off point, tapping them in as a springboard for something a lot more interesting. This recipe calls for a mere cup of pumpkin purée (as opposed to the full 15-ounce can called for mostly everywhere else). Plus, the sweet-and-thick chew of molasses makes each bite pleasantly hearty, pushing this cake firmly into "satisfying snack" territory rather than "post-PSL-y crash-and-burn."

Readers have long enjoyed this recipe, calling it "very moist and so flavorful" and "simple and delicious," remarking that the cake's fudginess is appealing for a dessert that also feels quite light. All of these things (flavor! Simplicity! Moistness!) make it a great kicker to any sort of autumnal meal.

TL;DR: You will not feel like you're crushing a pumpkin spice latte when going in on this cake. You will instead feel like you are properly enjoying the season by savoring a satisfying, substantial piece of cake. Though it does pair quite nicely with a (regular old) cup of coffee.