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Pumpkin Spice Cake

Source of Recipe


Country Living






List of Ingredients



• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks), softened
  
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
  
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
  
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp fresh-ground nutmeg
  
• Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
  






Instructions



1. Prepare cake pans:
   Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat three 8-inch cake pans with softened butter. Cut three 8-inch circles out of parchment paper and fit them into the bottom of the cake pans. Lightly coat the paper circles with butter and set aside.
   
   
2. Make the batter:
   Cream butter until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Set aside.
   
   
3. Combine the pumpkin purée, buttermilk and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In thirds, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition until smooth.
   
   
4. Bake the cake:
   Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean -- 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan on wire racks for 30 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and return to the wire racks until completely cool.
   
   
5. Assemble the cake:
   Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one-third of hte Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting. Repeat with second and third layers. Serve or store, refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
   
   Makes one 8-inch, 3-layer cake
   (16 servings)
   
   .........
   
   PUMPKIN CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING
   
   • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
   • 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
   • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
   • 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
   • 1 tsp grated orange zest
   • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
   • 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
   
   Blend the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, butter, orange juice, zest and vanilla in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy -- about 5 more minutes.
   
   Yield: 3-1/2 cups