Camille's Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Camille Anthony

This is a "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" recipe because you can serve this delicious bundt (pronounced "booondt") cake with any kind of decoration in the middle to match the festivity of the occasion.

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin

Combine sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl; mix until smooth and well blended. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl; stir into oil mixture, beating well. Stir in pumpkin puree. Pour batter into a Bundt pan; or if the chef isn't feeling very Greek - two greased and floured 9-inch round layer cake pans or a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Turn out onto racks to cool. Frost pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting (directions below) and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 (8 oz.) pkg.cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb. confectioners' sugar, about 3 3/4 cups before sifting
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.  Add the sifted confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.