Ingredients

• Pumpkin Cake
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups oil
• 3 1/4 cups canned pumpkin (from a 29-oz. can)
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)


• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Place sugar, flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt in an electric mixer and blend at medium speed until well-mixed. Add oil and continue to beat until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Add the pumpkin and mix again until well-blended. Add eggs and blend again for 1 minute longer, being careful to not overmix.

Pour batter into 3 lightly greased, paper-lined 9-inch cake pans, smoothing batter with a spatula to make level. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool thoroughly (with cake layers still in cake pans) on wire cooling racks, then carefully remove cake layers from pans. Place first cake layer on a cake server, then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Place second cake layer on top of first layer and frost, then top with third layer. Frost the entire outside of cake. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator. After removing from refrigerator, allow to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving to allow frosting to soften.


In an electric mixer bowl, combine sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Mix until blended and smooth, stopping once to scrape sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to frost cake. If frosting seems too firm, allow to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before applying to cake.