Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

I recently made a Pumpkin-Spice Cake and it is one of my favorite fall flavors now! It may actually be a year round favorite for me.  Here is the recipe:

1 cup pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs


Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease and flour your pans.  In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and vanilla.  In another medium bowl, whish together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice.  In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy 3 to 5 minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed.  With mixer on low, beat in flour mixure in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, until combined.  Pour into prepared pans.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  For two 8 inch pans it was about 25-30 minutes. But always check ealier since oven temperatures vary and the amount of batter in each pan. Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes and then turn out of the pan onto the rack to cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese frosting.  I also sprinkled some chopped up walnuts on top of the top layer. 

This can also be made into cupcakes. Fill your muffin tins with paper liners or spray with non stick cooking spray.  Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup.  Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.  Let cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks, 15 mintues.  Remove from pans and let cool completely on racks about 10 minutes.  (Store the cupcakes in an airtight conatiner up to 2 days) To serve spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes.   Makes 24 cupcakes.