Hello!

I sometimes just get things in my head, like something I want to make, so with that in mind my head is thinking fall and pumpkins and comfort food. The first thing that came to mind was Pumpkin Cake. I wonder if there’s a recipe for that. So next step was to go on a search for that in my old cookbooks. Well, wouldn’t you just know, there is such a thing, actually several. So, I researched each one and came up with what I figured to be the best candidate.

I made it and took it out of the oven to cool. The icing recipe is a cream cheese icing. The cake had to completely cool before I could ice it.

While waiting on the cooling of the cake, I made the icing and put it in the refrigerator. I then went back to watch some TV and crochet a bit, then came back out to ice my cake in the kitchen. But lo and behold, there were two pieces of warm cake missing…..my husband ate two big pieces without the icing. Apparently, it passed the new recipe test.

I finally got to put the icing on and tasted it myself. It is very good. It’s a very moist and dense cake. I love it! It seems to have just the right amount of spices in it. I’m not one that likes to use a lot of spice; however, I do like cinnamon.

The icing has just a different twist. It calls for almond flavoring instead of vanilla. This little ingredient made the cake. It took it to a different level in my eyes. I love the flavor it lends to the icing and for some reason, it just seemed creamier if that’s even possible.

So, the next step was to bring some to work, and it seemed to pass the taste test here too. Everybody loved it. I will be making this again.

Pumpkin Cake

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup sugar

1 small can of pumpkin

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Mix oil, eggs, brown sugar, sugar and blend well. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, 1 can pumpkin and vanilla. Continue beating with the mixer an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until completely blended.

Pour into a greased 13×9 baking pan and bake at 350 for 30 to 36 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool cake completely

Icing

8 oz cream cheese softened

½ cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Beat with a mixer the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy looking. Slowly add in the almond flavoring, salt and the confectioner’s sugar until completely mixed in.

Spread on cake

Enjoy!