Pumpkin Gingerbread

Directions

1. 1
   Position oven rack in the center of oven; preheat oven to 350; butter a 9x5 loaf pan; dust it all over with fine, dry breadcrumbs; tap over a piece of paper to shake out excess; set aside.
2. 2
   Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and mustard; set aside.
3. 3
   In a big bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter; add in sugar and beat to mix.
4. 4
   Add eggs and beat to mix.
5. 5
   On low speed, add half of the dry ingredients, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.
6. 6
   Beat only until barely incorporated; mix in the coffee.
7. 7
   Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat only until incorporated; add the pumpkin and, scraping the bowl as needed, beat only until incorporated; remove bowl from mixer.
8. 8
   Stir in pecans.
9. 9
   Turn mixture into prepared pan; smooth the top.
10. 10
    Then, with the back of a spoon, form a trench down the middle, about 1/2 to 1 inch deep; the trench will prevent the middle from rising too high, although it will rise some anyhow and form a crack down the length of the cake (it is supposed to).
11. 11
    Bake 1 hour and 10-15 minutes, until the top feels slightly firm to touch and a cake tester comes out clean.
12. 12
    Cool cake in pan for 10-15 minutes; cover the pan with a rack, turn over the pan and the rack, remove the pan, cover the cake with another rack, and very carefully turn over again, leaving the cake right side up to cool.