Shelly's Recipe

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE WITH HONEY FROSTING

Category: Cakes

Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin-pie spice (or 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp each allspice and cloves)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin puree

Honey Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft
1 bar (8 oz) regular (or reduced-fat) cream cheese, very soft
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, butter, and pumpkin puree until combined. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, and mix gently until smooth.

Turn batter into prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan, and cool completely, right side up, on a rack.

Make Honey Frosting: In a medium bowl, whisk butter, cream cheese, and honey until smooth. Spread top of cooled cake with honey frosting. Cut cake into squares to serve.

Note: You can also use a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan: Increase baking time by 25 to 30 minutes (tent loaf with foil if it browns too quickly).