Pumpkin Spice Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

As much as I hate to admit it, some people just don't like pie. As Thanksgiving is such a pie heavy holiday, here is a recipe to keep those blasphemers happy when everyone else is enjoying true pie bliss. That isn't to say this cake isn't good. It won the popular vote in a cake contest. I'm also not embarrassed to say the key ingredient is a cake mix. A tasty cake is a tasty cake, and this my friends, is the tastiest.

When I am old, rich and eccentric, I will have a built in bookcase wall devoted to bundt pans.

You need:

For cake:
1 box spice cake mix
1 box vanilla pudding, instant
1 can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 c oil
1/2 c water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

For glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 T apple cider

Mix the spice cake mix with the vanilla pudding. Add the rest of the ingredients for the cake and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan and tap the pan gently on the counter to even out the batter.

Bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to continue cooling.

Once the cake is completely cool, whisk the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cider until smooth and drizzle over cake. For a thicker glaze, use less cider.

A note on bake times:

Not all pans are created equal. The time it takes for a bundt cake to bake is much longer than a 13"x9" pan. If you are using a 13"x9" reduce the time to 35 minutes and the same for two round 8"x8". Two 9"x9" should be around 30 minutes and cupcakes should be around 20-25 minutes. As always, check the center of your cakes with a toothpick to be sure. Bake times can vary greatly.