Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

This cake is wonderfully moist and a delicious alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie!

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 2/3 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 C sugar
2 large eggs
1 C pumpkin puree
1/2 C warm (110 degrees) milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x2 inch round cake pan. Line pan with parchment and butter the parchment. Coat pan with flour and tap out any excess.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter togehter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined. Add pumpkin puree and milk; beat until combined. Add dry ingredients; beat on low speed until just combined. Batter will be very thick.

4. Por batter into prepared pan, abd bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Let cake rest for 20 minutes.

5. Unmold cake. Using an offset spatula, spread icing over top of cake and decorate with carmalized walnut halves.

Icing:

4 TBL unsalted butter
1 C sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 TBL milk

In a small saucepan, melt butter until nut brown in color. (For a 'nuttier' taste, brown it to a deep brown color) Remove pan from heat and pour the melted butter into a bowl. Note: Leave any burned sediment behind.

Add sugar, vanilla and 1 TBL of milk. Stir. If the icing is too thick, add remaining TBL of milk slowly until you achieve desired consistency. (icing should be thin enough to pour, but thick enough to not run over the edges of the cake)

Let the frosting cool 5 minutes. Use immediately.

For a more traditional taste, add one 8oz brick of cream cheese to the icing mixture and beat completely until smooth.

This recipe appeared in Martha Stewart Living magazine in 1998. It's been a favorite since then!