PUNKIN' CAKE

Tonight was Mom's Birthday. I'll have to take pictures of the puppy later. He was sleeping while we were there. The Punkin' cake turned out so delicious. The recipe was pretty from scratchy, but it was worth it. You will need to buy a tube of orange frosting in the birthday cake decorating section and use whatever you like for the stem. I used a small candy bar, but you can even roll up half a slice of brownish wheat bread lightly frosted so it will stick together in a roll.

PUNKIN CAKE

First grease and flour 3 round cake pans and the bottom 1/2 of a bundt pan. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients;

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp all spice

1/2 tsp nutmet

1/2 tsp ginger

Wisk these dry ingredients and set aside.

In a separate large bowl mix the following;

5 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups veg oil

1 15 oz. can pumkin

Wisk together until blended well, then slowly blend in the dry ingredients until all is smooth.

Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes, divided between three round and one bundt pan. Add 1/4 cup toasted walnuts to one pan and push them into the batter with a spoon. (These are the seeds.)

While this is baking, blend two blocks of cream cheese with one large tub of Cool Whip and 1 tsp of butternut extract. Vanilla will do if you don't have butternut. Set in the refrigerator while cakes cook then cool completely, about an hour.

Now the fun begins! With a pizza cutter, cut out about a half inch or more of the outter ring of one of the layers to make a "hoop". You will start with the remaining small round layer. Save the ring to the side. Frost the small round bottom. The next layer is the one with nuts. Place it on top the smaller bottom and frost. Place the third round layer and frost. Then place the small bundt ring on as the fourth layer. There will be a shelf because the bundt is smaller than the 3rd layer. This is where you position the hoop from the first layer. You should now have a pumpkin shape. Reserve about two cups of the fluffy frosting to later mix with orange for the last coat. Then cover the entire ball with the remaining white frosting. (it's a little stiff, that's good, you press it on like morter and sculp yourself a pumpkin. I then divided up my reserved frosting into three coffee cups and mixed up three shades of orange with the store bought tube of orange frosting. (Next time I'll save some dark straight orange right out of the tube for more contrast. But just layer it on with a whatever tool you have. A frosting knife is best, but toward the end of my first attempt I had frosting on everything in the kitchen. But, then I got to lick everything, so it wasn't so bad. That's why you make so much iceing. This cake was also a good reminder as to why I don't cook from scratch much anymore. When the receipe book gives the prep time you can go right ahead and double that. In my kitchen it's more like a scavenger hunt than "prep time". Who do they think I am? The Iron Chef? It's a major project just to find two clean bowls at any given time, little-on butternut extract for Pete's sake. Ah, but here are the photos to prove I prevailed.