Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Orange Butter Glaze

Two chocolate Bundt cakes held together with melted chocolate are coated with a rich glaze and garnished with hazelnut-chocolate leaves to make The Great Pumpkin Cake, the ultimate Halloween masterpiece. Gianduja is a hazelnut-flavoured chocolate available at gourmet food stores.

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter + 1 cup (2 sticks), melted
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
2 cups raw sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ cup Canola oil
¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. milk
3 oz gianduja or milk chocolate
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
7 oz heavy cream
few drops orange liquid-paste food colouring
4 cups Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered), sifted
chocolate leaves

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Generously butter the inside of two 8" Bundt pans; dust lightly with cocoa powder.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine raw sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, canola oil, buttermilk, and ¾ cup milk. Slowly add egg mixture to raw sugar mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix batter on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake cakes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pans.

Place both chocolates, heavy cream, and 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium heat-proof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring often, until chocolate is completely melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool to room temperature. Whisk chocolate until lightened; set aside.

Using a serrated knife, trim the bottoms of both cakes so they are both flat. Spread chocolate evenly on the flat side of one of the cakes. Invert the remaining cake onto chocolate so that a pumpkin shape is formed. Place cake onto a wire rack.

Make the Orange Butter Glaze:
Combine remaining ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp. of milk and the food colouring until the mixture is a pumpkin colour; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and 1 cup melted butter. Add reserved milk mixture, and continue whisking until smooth. Working quickly, carefully pour orange butter glaze over the cake, tilting the cake as necessary to coat all sides of the cake. Let glaze set completely before garnishing with chocolate leaves. Serve.

Makes 16 servings.

Cook's Note: To make a stem, twist a brown-paper lunch bag into a stem shape, and wrap it tightly with green floral tape. Insert the stem into the center of the cake. Remove before serving.