Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting

There are still some tomatoes on the vine, but our first frost is just around the corner . . . might as well face it, we're feeling the nip of Fall in the air. We've already been lighting up the wood stove to take the chill off of the mornings and evenings.
And as much as I detest the shorter days and less sunlight, there are some things I do love about Fall. Baking is one of them.



It is a welcome excuse to crank up the oven and bake at this time  of year and the payoffs are plentiful:
Warm kitchen...  delightful aromas...  comforting, cozy atmosphere... good food to look forward to... satisfied tummies... Happy memories...
All of the above make for warm fuzzies and a happy family. :)

In summer we have all kinds of fresh fruit to keep a sweet tooth satisfied, in the cooler months we must become a little more creative.  Apples, pumpkins, pears and preserved fruit to the rescue, and soon the citrus will become more abundant.  I've been baking some apple sweets which I'll share soon, but in the meantime . . . 




This is a simple little sheet cake, you can use canned pumpkin (plain, not pie filling), or cook your own pumpkin or squash. Since I had a can of pumpkin open for another recipe, I decided to make this little cake. It doesn't take many ingredients and it goes together quickly.



The original recipe yields a 9x13-inch cake pan, but we don't need that much cake at once so I made a half recipe and baked it in a 9x9-inch pan. If a 9x9-inch cake is still too much for you, you can bake it, then divide it in half, wrap well and freeze the half and enjoy the other half immediately. When you want to serve the remainder, thaw and spread the frosting on  when it's completely thawed, or just sprinkle with powdered sugar.




The frosting is made with pure maple syrup, cream cheese butter and powdered sugar and a little vanilla extract.   The maple flavor is very mild, if you like it more pronounced  you could add some maple flavor extract . . . but I try to avoid the artificially flavored stuff, so I don't. 
I reduce the sugar amount by a bit, because I don't care for overly  sweet things, and if you reduce the cream cheese by a tablespoon or so,  the maple will be a bit more prominent.

I serve the toasted chopped pecans in a little dish with a spoon, on the side since many people have trouble digesting them. This way it makes everybody happy.
Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, and it makes a fine little dessert.    If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, it's over on my recipe blog . . .
Click here.
Thank you for stopping by ~ I would love if you would leave a comment so I know you've visited!
Blessings!
~mari  :)