This One's a Keeper

I like to collect recipes from magazines, the Internet, other good cooks, etc. I have hundreds and hundreds. Most of them I've never made, but occasionally I'll try one out to see if it's really as good as it sounds. I've had this recipe for a long time. I think it's from an issue of Better Homes and Gardens It's called Pumpkin Sandwich Cake. It seemed appropriate for the season.

I made it yesterday and boy was it amazing! I will be keeping this recipe forever and making it often. The whole family loved it. It's definitely worth sharing with you all. It's a bit labor intensive, but totally worth it!

Pumpkin Sandwich Cake

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 of an 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 recipe Chocolate Cream Icing (follows)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of two round or square, 8 inch cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, lightly spray pans with cooking spray. In a bowl combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar on medium high speed until thick, about five minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Add flour mixture, beat just until combined. Spread cake batter in prepared pans (1/2 in each). Bake 16-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, remove and cool thoroughly.

For filling, in chilled mixing bowl beat whipped cream to soft peaks, set aside. In a second mixing bowl beat cream cheese until smooth, beat in powdered sugar. Fold in whipped cream. To assemble, place one cake layer on serving platter. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over bottom cake layer. Top with second layer. Refrigerate while preparing icing.

If icing is too thin, cover and chill 30 minutes until of spreading consistency. Too thick, add a teaspoon of milk of cream. Spread over top and sides of cake. Sprinkly lightly with pumpkin pie spice. Chill cake at least 1 hour before serving.

Store cake, loosely covered, in refrigerator.

Chocolate Cream Icing

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a small saucepan bring whipping cream just to boiling over medium high heat. Remove from heat. Pour over chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Do not stir! let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Cool 15 minutes.

This cake is very rich so you only need a small piece and it keeps for quite awhile in the fridge.
Delicious! Do yourself a favor and try it.