Fall all around

First of all, this is the tree that sits at the end of our driveway. We're dazzled by it every day this time of year, and it's one of the things that makes saying good-bye to summer awfully easy.

Second, a recipe from our friend Kristin, who is really very handy in the kitchen. I baked the cake just this afternoon and our house smells fantastic.

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs

Icing:
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp well-shaken buttermilk
1 1/2 c powdered sugar

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bundt pan generously & dust with flour, knocking out excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour through salt. Whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl at med-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5minutes. Add eggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until batter is just smooth.
Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top & bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Invert rack over the cake and reinvert onto rack. Cool 10 minutes more.
While cake is cooling, whisk together buttermilk and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle icing over the warm cake; cool cake completely. Icing will harden slightly.