Tea for Two with Cranberry and Pumpkin

Those of us who live on National call ourselves "Nationalites" for most of the homes on National are old -- far older than Linderhof. It was originally the highway and was paved in brick as most streets were in our little town. The brick is still there, on National, under the asphalt.

A neighbor, Sally, who lives on the corner two blocks down has a great Victorian - a real painted lady (which I've featured in a post).

We've visited but I've never had her over for tea so one Friday, I invited her for a cup of tea and a nosh. She's wanted to see the garden -- and because of my summer surgeries it had to be at it's worst!!!

But Sally is a visionary and can see past weeds and chores that need to be done to see the garden as it should be.

Tea in the breakfast room, of course. And with my blue and white, of course! The very very last of the marigolds brought in just before the frost in a blue and white pitcher. The Spode blue room teapot, cups and saucers and tea plates.

One of my favorite tea cloths on the table, freshly ironed tea napkins and my mother of pearl forks. And the nosh -- a favorite for this time of the year -- pumpkin cranberry coffeecake -- even though it was afternoon and not morning and we were having tea and not coffee!!!

Sally and I visited and ate and drank cups and cups of freshly brewed tea. A French orange tea which went very well with the pumpkin cranberry coffeecake.

The afternoon ended all too shortly and soon Sally was saying goodbye. She did gift me with a sweet tea bag holder so I'll always have a memory of this afternoon.

Even though named "coffee" cake it goes well with afternoon tea and it is two of my favorite fall flavors -- pumpkin and cranberry.

I've made hundreds of these and I always bake them in the tube pan. I suppose one could bake them in little loaves but I never have. I like the look of the coffeecake on one of my glass cake stands. I think it's impressive.

The recipe from a long ago Victoria magazine. Cut and saved and baked over and over and over again. It goes well with breakfast Thanksgiving weekend when the house is full of company.

PUMPKIN CRANBERRY COFFEECAKE

2 1/4 cups flour

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped

Granulated sugar for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter an 8 cup ring mold or other decorative mold. Dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, pumpkin-pie spice, baking soda and salt.

In the medium size bowl of an electric mixer, at medium speed, beat the eggs until they are foamy. Beat in the granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, and oil until well blended. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until a batter forms. (Do not overmix). Gently fold in the cranberries.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin metal spatula around the edge of the mold to loosen the cake and turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.

Sprnkle the cake with granulated sugar before serving.

It's Tuesday which means that I'm joining:

Tabletop Tuesday with Marty at A Stroll Thru Life

Tea Time Tuesday with Terri at Artful Affirmations

Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha at Martha's Favorites

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday with Pam at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Time Tuesday with Katherine at Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor

Tuesday Tea for Two with Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen