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It is fast approaching pumpkin season. Yesterday was the first day that we have had a break from bizarre summer weather. The leaves were rustling under foot, the air was crisp and noticeably cooler, bon-fires of all sizes were blazing all over the county - including my parents back patio where we toasted marshmallows in the fire pit. With fall in the air, pumpkin season will soon be here, and everyone has jumped on the pumpkin-as-an-ingredient bandwagon. This cake came into existence because I kept seeing all these "Pumpkin Better Than Sex Cake" recipes posted on Facebook and pinned on Pinterest. Man, they looked delicious. The chocolate version of that cake, which I grew up calling a Twix Cake, is one of my all-time favorites. It is so easy to make and delicious from the first forkful to the last gooey crumb left in the pan. So I set out to make what I had seen posted online. I looked in my mom's kitchen pantry. Lo-and-behold there was a can of pumpkin and a can of sweetened condensed milk. There was Cool Whip in the freezer. "Mom, do you have any caramel sauce?" Darn it! No caramel sauce. Oh well, that's easy enough to make...I guess. *Opens freezer* "Mom, you're out of Heath Bits!" At that point I placed the unopened cans of pumpkin and Eagle Brand milk on the counter and forlornly pulled a box of white cake mix from the dining room pantry. As my kids settled in to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I put on my thinking cap. What goes good with pumpkin? Hmmm...Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and pecans. That would be tasty. Pecans...pecans...pecans. Toasted pecans would be better. That's easy to take care of. Sugar and spice pecans. Hold it! That's it! I sent my daughter to fetch my phone, and I quickly Googled recipes for all the components I would need to pull off the feat of turning a "Darn it" moment into cake bliss. I made a slight change to the cake part of the original idea...well, ok, a significant change. Everything I'd seen pinned and posted just called for the cake mix and pumpkin, no eggs, no oil, no spices. I've had chocolate cake made with nothing but pumpkin puree, and it is not a texture I ever wish to put in my mouth again. Blech! So, I kept the oil and eggs and added a small dose of extra flavor. Sure, the pumpkin-only version has fewer calories and fat grams, but who am I kidding? When it comes to dessert, I want it to taste good not to be good for me. On a side note, this would be great as a pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting. You could also top it with spiced/sweetened whipped cream -or- Cool Whip, white chocolate pieces, semi-sweet chocolate morsels, and toasted pecans.
For the Cake:
For the Sugared Pecans:
For the Easy Caramel Sauce:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup half-and-half (I used whipping cream)
4 Tbs butter
Pinch salt
1 Tbs vanilla extract
8. Remove nuts from oven, let cool five minutes or so, then remove from foil to a plate or bowl.
Caramel:
1. In a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix together brown sugar, butter, and cream.
2. Over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil (this will take a while) and cook for 7 minutes.
3. Add vanilla extract. Cook an additional minute or two to thicken slightly.
4. Set aside to cool.
Assembly:
1. While caramel cools, spread Cool Whip over cake.
2. Sprinkle pecans on top of Cool Whip.
3. Cover with foil, and refrigerate until caramel sauce is cool.
4. Once caramel sauce has cooled to room temperature, drizzle it over the pecans on top of the cake.
5. Slice cake into 20 squares (four on short side, five on long side) and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Cake like this needs to be chilled before serving to allow all the flavors to soak in.
It is fast approaching pumpkin season. Yesterday was the first day that we have had a break from bizarre summer weather. The leaves were rustling under foot, the air was crisp and noticeably cooler, bon-fires of all sizes were blazing all over the county - including my parents back patio where we toasted marshmallows in the fire pit. With fall in the air, pumpkin season will soon be here, and everyone has jumped on the pumpkin-as-an-ingredient bandwagon. This cake came into existence because I kept seeing all these "Pumpkin Better Than Sex Cake" recipes posted on Facebook and pinned on Pinterest. Man, they looked delicious. The chocolate version of that cake, which I grew up calling a Twix Cake, is one of my all-time favorites. It is so easy to make and delicious from the first forkful to the last gooey crumb left in the pan. So I set out to make what I had seen posted online. I looked in my mom's kitchen pantry. Lo-and-behold there was a can of pumpkin and a can of sweetened condensed milk. There was Cool Whip in the freezer. "Mom, do you have any caramel sauce?" Darn it! No caramel sauce. Oh well, that's easy enough to make...I guess. *Opens freezer* "Mom, you're out of Heath Bits!" At that point I placed the unopened cans of pumpkin and Eagle Brand milk on the counter and forlornly pulled a box of white cake mix from the dining room pantry. As my kids settled in to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I put on my thinking cap. What goes good with pumpkin? Hmmm...Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and pecans. That would be tasty. Pecans...pecans...pecans. Toasted pecans would be better. That's easy to take care of. Sugar and spice pecans. Hold it! That's it! I sent my daughter to fetch my phone, and I quickly Googled recipes for all the components I would need to pull off the feat of turning a "Darn it" moment into cake bliss. I made a slight change to the cake part of the original idea...well, ok, a significant change. Everything I'd seen pinned and posted just called for the cake mix and pumpkin, no eggs, no oil, no spices. I've had chocolate cake made with nothing but pumpkin puree, and it is not a texture I ever wish to put in my mouth again. Blech! So, I kept the oil and eggs and added a small dose of extra flavor. Sure, the pumpkin-only version has fewer calories and fat grams, but who am I kidding? When it comes to dessert, I want it to taste good not to be good for me. On a side note, this would be great as a pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting. You could also top it with spiced/sweetened whipped cream -or- Cool Whip, white chocolate pieces, semi-sweet chocolate morsels, and toasted pecans.
Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Cake
*Certain spice ratios borrowed from Pumpkin Spice Cake with Chocolate-Pecan Filling from Food Network Magazine*
1 Duncan Hines Classic White cake mix
1-15 oz can Libby 100% Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie mix!)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 cup oil
3 whole eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1-8oz tub Cool Whip (if you like more, use 1 1/2 - 2 tubs)
For the Sugared Pecans:
*This recipe is from Simply Recipes*
1 egg white
1 Tbs water
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 cups pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
For the Easy Caramel Sauce:
*This recipe is from FoodNetwork.com, courtesy of Ree Drummond*
1/2 cup half-and-half (I used whipping cream)
4 Tbs butter
Pinch salt
1 Tbs vanilla extract
Cake:
1. In a large mixing bowl, blend together cake mix and spices.
2. In a 4 cup measuring glass or bowl (I used a 2 cup, and it was barely enough room to stir it), mix oil, eggs, and pumpkin puree together.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Pour into a lightly greased 9"x13" pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, the cake is done. *Mine took 28 minutes* 
5. When cake is done, let cool approximately 5 minutes. Poke holes in top with a round-handled wooden spoon (see technique description HERE). Pour sweetened condensed milk over cake and spread to cover surface. Let sit on counter until completely cooled.
Pecans:
1. While cake is cooling, move on to pecans.
2. In a medium bowl, with a fork or wire whisk beat together egg white, water, and vanilla until frothy.
3. Add pecans and stir to coat.
4. Mix sugar, salt, and spices together in a zipper bag.
5. Using a slotted spoon, remove pecans from egg whites into bag. Seal bag and shake or smush to coat nuts.
6. Turn nuts out onto a lightly greased, foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet (I used a jelly roll pan). Spread them out so they are not touching.
7. Bake at 300° for 15 minutes, stir nuts, bake for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Remove nuts from oven, let cool five minutes or so, then remove from foil to a plate or bowl.
1. In a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix together brown sugar, butter, and cream.
2. Over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil (this will take a while) and cook for 7 minutes.
3. Add vanilla extract. Cook an additional minute or two to thicken slightly.
4. Set aside to cool.
Assembly:
1. While caramel cools, spread Cool Whip over cake.
2. Sprinkle pecans on top of Cool Whip.
3. Cover with foil, and refrigerate until caramel sauce is cool.
4. Once caramel sauce has cooled to room temperature, drizzle it over the pecans on top of the cake.
5. Slice cake into 20 squares (four on short side, five on long side) and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Cake like this needs to be chilled before serving to allow all the flavors to soak in.
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