Pumpkin Cake

I have always loved going to the Farmers' Market in September/early October and seeing the first pumpkins from the pumpkin patch.  They remind me that autumn is here and the leaves are changing color, the days are getting cooler and Halloween is around the corner.  There are always small gourds, mini pumpkins and squash used as natural decoration around the house during Halloween and I often toast the seeds of the pumpkin we have carved for a little snack, but this year I am going to try a pumpkin cake recipe with the new cake pan I bought. (I couldn't resist picking this up from Williams-Sonoma, so cute!).

The pan is simply 2 Bundt cake shaped indentations which you use to make 2 halves of the pumpkin.  After assembling the cake (evening out the cake tops and placing them one on top of the other) you can decorate the pumpkin with colored icing to add vines or leaves or even a scary Jack-O-Lantern face.  Also, you could drizzle on a sweet glaze or sprinkle icing sugar or chocolate shavings to finish off the cake as appropriate for the recipe used.

Try the Cooking Light Magazine's Pumpkin-Orange Cake or their Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze.  Both look amazing and are on the healthy side so you can enjoy a slice (or two) with coffee or tea, while enjoying the brilliant colors of the fall leaves.