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Pumpkin: Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake

Source of Recipe

Cake Mix Doctor, page 195


Recipe Introduction

"I toted this sheet cake to a family Halloween party, and it was the perfect dessert for the occasion! Not only was it festive, containing pumpkin and spices, but it was moist and mess-free, brought right in its pan. Pumpkin is a yummy cake addition, and you don't need to use vegetable oil when you include it. As for the cinnamon taste in the frosting, it comes from ground cinnamon. The perfect last touch? Chopped toasted pecans scattered over the top. "

List of Ingredients

* Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
* 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
* 1 can (15 ounces; 1 3/4 cups) pumpkin
* 3 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 cup cinnamon chips
* Cinnamon-Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)
* 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans


Recipe

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 13- by 9-inch pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter will be thick and should look well combined. Fold in the cinnamon chips until well distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, moothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Cinnamon-Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

5. Spread the frosting over the cake in the pan with smooth, clean strokes. Sprinkle the pecans over the top.

To make slicing easier, store this cake, lightly covered with waxed paper, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 1 hour. Then wrap it in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

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Cinnamon-Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Whenever I make up this frosting, I can't decide what to do first-slather it on the Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake or pop a big spoonful into my mouth! Flavored with dark Dutch-process cocoa and ground cinnamon, it is a perennial as far as I am concerned, delicious on any dark chocolate layer cake or cupcake in this book. MAKES 3 1/2 CUPS, ENOUGH TO FROST A 2- OR 3-LAYER CAKE

* 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Place the cream cheese and the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and 3 3/4 cups of the confectioners' sugar. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the ingredients are moistened, 30 seconds. Add more sugar if the frosting seems too thin. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 2 minutes more. Use to frost the top and sides of the cake of your choice.