Recipe: Chocolate-Pumpkin Layer Cake with Brown-Sugar Frosting

Timing Tip: Can be stored at room temperature up to 5 days.
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
Line bottoms with waxed paper. 2.CAKE: Mix flour, cocoa powder spice,
baking powder and baking soda. 3. Beat butter and granulated sugar in a
large bowl with electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a
time until mixture looks like mayonnaise. 4. With mixer on low speed, beat
in pumpkin, milk and vanilla (mixture will look curdled). Gradually beat in
flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula 2 or 3
times. 5. Divide batter between prepared pans. Smooth tops. Bake 40 to 45
minutes until pick inserted in the center comes out clean. 6. Cool in pans
on wire rack 10 minutes. Run knife around cakes to loosen. Invert on wire
rack, remove pans, peel off waxed paper and let cakes cool completely. 7.
FROSTING: Put brown sugar, butter and milk in a medium-size saucepan and
bring to a gentle boil. Stir until butter melts, sugar is disolved and
mixture is smooth. 8. Using a hand-held electric mixer gradually beat
confectioners' sugar and extract into hot mixture. Or pour hot mixture into
a bowl and beat in sugar and extract with a stand mixture. 9. Immediately
place 1 cake layer upside-down on serving plate. Spread with warm frosting
(if frosting cools it will set and a crust may form on the surface. Beat
again until smooth.) Place other layer right side up over sides and top.
Cover with plastic wrap or store in cake keeper.
Serves 12. Per serving: 824 cal, 7 g pro, 128 g car, 34 g fat, 156 mg chol
with butter, 76 mg chol with margarine, 496 mg sod.