PUMPKIN CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Adapted via AllRecipes.com
Serves: 15-20 (makes 2 bundt cakes)

Ingredients
For Cake:
♦ 4 cups white sugar
♦ 2 1/2 cups vegetable oil
♦ 2 tsp vanilla extract
♦ 2 (15-oz cans) canned pumpkin
♦ 8 large eggs
♦ 4 cups all-purpose flour
♦ 6 tsp baking powder
♦ 4 tsp baking soda
♦ 1/2 tsp salt
♦ 4 tsp ground cinnamon
♦ 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
♦ 1/4 tsp ground cloves
♦ 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

For Cream Cheese Frosting:
♦ 4 (8-oz) packages cream cheese frosting, at room temperature
♦ 1 cup butter, at room temperature
♦ 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
♦ 2 tsp vanilla extract
♦ 2 tsp lemon juice
♦ 4 (1-oz) bottles orange food coloring
♦ red food coloring
♦ green food coloring

Directions:
For making the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 12×18 inch pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared 12×18 inch pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (check after 30 minutes). Allow to cool.

For the frosting: In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Remove 1/2 cup of frosting, and dye the remaining frosting orange (with a few drops of red). The reserved portion should be dyed green. Store in the refrigerator until use.

For final assembly: Level the bottoms of the cake to make them flat; set these scraps aside. Place one half, top side down, onto a cake platter – spread 3/4 cup to 1 cup orange frosting across the half. Top with the second half, and spread with the remaining orange frosting. Stuff the cake scraps into the center hole, shaping the top part of it into a stem – frost the stem with the reserved green frosting. Refrigerate the cake up to 24 hours; let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving. Happy Halloween!

To read more about this cake and my musical pairing, click HERE.