If you’re a fan of pumpkin spices you should love this cake, especially when fall weather is here.  I love the way this cake smells when it’s baking in the oven.  Your entire house will smell of pumpkin spice and we all know how wonderful that smells.  This cake is from a magazine I bought in 2006 called “Nestle Very Best Baking.”  As soon as I saw this cake I had to write it down so I would be sure to make it.  I was not disappointed in how it turned out and it’s not too hard to make.  I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do.  I use this cake recipe for cupcakes also and they turn out just as moist and just as delicious.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup Carnation Evaporated milk

1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 and 1/2 cups 100% pure pumpkin

1/4 cup water

(see frosting recipe below for Cinnamon Frosting)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round baking pans.

Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl.

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy.  Add eggs and beat for 2 minutes.  Beat in pumpkin, evaporated milk, water and vanilla.

Gradually beat in flour mixture and spread evenly into prepared pans.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto wire racks and then cool completely.

To Assemble:  Cut each cake layer in half horizontally with a long serrated knife.  Frost between layers and on top of cake, leaving sides unfrosted.  Garnish with walnuts of desired.

*I did not cut layers in half, I left layers as they were and iced between the two layers and I iced the outside of the cake.

**Cupcakes will not take as long to back and it makes about 28 to 30 cupcakes.  I baked them for about 16 minutes…check cupcakes every so often in the final minutes so you will know how long your oven takes for them to bake.

 See frosting recipe below.

3 cups sifted confectioner sugar

1/2 stick butter (melted)

1 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Extract/flavoring if desired (I used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and I added 1 teaspoon cinnamon)

Combine confectioner sugar and butter in medium size bowl.  Stir in 2 Tablespoons heavy cream.  If desired, add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy, add more cream 1 Tablespoon at a time if necessary, or add more confectioner sugar if you prefer your icing to be thicker.