The best pumpkin cake ever

It's been quite awhile since I posted a recipe.  I mean, I do have a 'recipes' tab at the top of my page, so one would think that I would actually share some recipes every now and then.

My blog, as you can see, is not really focused on any one thing.  It's just about our life.  I post pictures of our family with explanations of what we've been doing (you know, boring stuff that usually only family is interested in!), blurbs about homeschooling (which is not much right now because the girls are still too young to officially begin lessons), random thoughts here and there about faith or what I've been reading or who knows what, and then there's sometimes a recipe thrown in because, well...because I just want to.

Anyway.

Sunday was dreary and we were kind of bored, so I thought, let's bake!  The girls and I ended up making something DELICIOUS and I wanted to share it with you.  It's a pumpkin recipe, and maybe some people are tired of pumpkin because they went overboard around the holidays, but not us.  I still have 4 cans of pumpkin in my pantry.  I think I've only used one can - now two! - this whole fall/winter season.  So pumpkin it was!

We made a pumpkin cake.  It's the only pumpkin cake I think I've ever made, but it definitely won't be the last because it. is. awesome!

I think they're singing while waiting for me to get everything out.

Before it went into the oven.

After it came out.  I thought this picture was so cute, but of course it's blurry :)

Spreading on the icing.

Izzy was super serious about her task.

She didn't do too bad.  I just had to laugh at her, though, because she got it all over the dish.

Of course, I had to fix it, as best I could.  Izzy's got some icing in her mouth.

My camera batteries died before I got a picture of Izzy scarfing her piece down.

This was seriously one of the best cakes I've had.  But maybe I was just in the mood for pumpkin.  I don't know.  It has the perfect amount of spice, in my opinion, it was very moist, and the icing was wonderful with a little touch of cinnamon.  I did not create this recipe on my own, but adapted it from here.  I changed up the spices a little, decreased the sugar (and will probably decrease a little more next time), omitted 2 eggs, decreased the amount of butter, added applesauce, and totally changed up the icing.

Delicioso.

Would you like my recipe?  Okay!

Pumpkin Cake Cake Ingredients: 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder ¾ tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ¼ tsp ginger ¼ tsp cloves ¼ cup butter, softened ½ cup oil (I use canola) 1 cup granulated sugar (I’ll probably use ¾ cup next time) ¾ cup brown sugar ½ cup unsweetened applesauce 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 15 oz. can pumpkin ½ cup milk (I use almond) Icing Ingredients: 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature ¼ cup butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp cinnamon (optional, but highly recommended) splash of milk 2 ½ cups powdered sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 350°.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through cloves).  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the softened butter, oil, and sugars until well mixed.  Add the applesauce and mix.  Then add the eggs one at a time.  Lastly, add the vanilla.  In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin and milk together.  Add the flour and pumpkin mixtures to the bowl of the stand mixer in three batches, beginning and ending with the flour.  Mix each batch just until combined.  Pour batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish (I used a glass dish) and bake for about 45 minutes.  When a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, it’s done.  Let it cool for about two hours before icing. For the icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream cheese and butter.  Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and a splash of milk (maybe a tsp at the most).  Add ½ to 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until the desired consistency is reached (I used 2 ½ cups powdered sugar total.  It was a perfect amount in my opinion.).  When cake has cooled, frost with the icing, and eat! Store the cake in the fridge.

Enjoy!  Unless you're tired of pumpkin.  I can't help you there.  :)