Hope you had a Happy Halloween! (and Pumpkin Cake)

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!  My party turned out to be a lot of fun, though I spent the rest of the weekend recovering from it (hence no Pancakes of the Week, please excuse me!).  I promise that this will be my final Halloween-related post--that is, until next year, of course, but I wanted to share with everyone the cake I make every Halloween.

Pumpkin cake

with cream cheese frosting

Every year, I ask myself why I don't make this cake more often.  It's so dense and moist that some have even remarked (in a good way) that it's like eating a solid pumpkin mousse!  I really do need to whip out this recipe more often, if not in pumpkin form then at the very least in loaf pan form.  It's perfect for cool, fall mornings.

Anyhow, we'll move back to regularly scheduled programming on Desserts for Breakfast this week (I do have a day job that I can't abandon).  Here's looking forward to the holidays!  :-D

Read on for the recipe...

 Pumpkin Cake

makes 1 pumpkin, or 2 loaves

[note: my pumpkin mold is from Williams-Sonoma a couple of years ago, so I'm not sure if they still have them every year. It has a 13 cup capacity.]

2 cups AP flour

2 tspn cinnamon
1/2 tspn nutmeg
1 tspn allspice
dash of cloves

1 tspn baking soda

1/4 tspn baking powder

1/2 tspn salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tspn vanilla
3 cups canned pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Prepare your pumpkin mold or loaf pans by coating them with baking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar, sugar, vegetable oil, apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Combine the flour mixture with the wet ingredients in two stages.  When combined, fold in the shredded pumpkin.  Mix until incorporated.
5. Pour batter into prepared pans.
6. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove and cool for 10-15 minutes.  Turn out of mold and cool completely.

Enjoy!