Pumpkin Cake - Just in time for Thanksgiving

Pumpkins...Odd shaped and orange. (not always tho)
What else can you say about them?  Great for so many things really....such versatile fruits - or is it a vegetable?  No, fruit...it has seeds.
You eat the flesh, sweet or savory, you can bake the seeds and the outside can be carved for Hallowe'en.  OR you could simply paint the outsides and use them as decorations. (That's my Martha coming out)  But really, how many other fruits can you do that with?
Do you know what the largest pumpkin last year weighed in at?  A whopping 1725lbs!!
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/giants/giantpumpkins.htm  RIDICULOUS!!!
I doubt you could use that to make pies, but if you could, how many pies do you think it could make??

Every year I am in charge of 2 things for Thanksgiving dinner....gravy and pumpkin pies.
This year I thought it would be nice for a change but there was some resistance when I said I was making a pumpkin cake.  WHAT ABOUT THE PIES???  Don't worry, I am still making those too but we should welcome a change once in a while folks.
I found this recipe on Epicurious.com and it just sounded so tantalizing.  I read some of the reviews and decided to add a touch of oil as I like moist cakes and I couldn't afford to have a dry cake.  I might be banished from the kitchen if it didn't turn out well.
It looks great - tomorrow will be the true test.  I hope I don't have nightmares

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Nonstick cooking spray
3 c. all purpose flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 15-oz can pure pumpkin
1/3 c milk
1/4 c. oil

Preheat to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans or spring form pans. Line bottoms with parchment; spray parchment. Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until smooth. Beat in brown sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk and oil in 2 additions, beating to blend between additions. Divide batter between pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in pans on rack 15 minutes. Remove outer ring and invert cakes onto racks. Remove parchment
Once cool, slice each cake in half.

Frosting
1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp finely grated orange peel
2 c powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. orange juice
Chopped walnuts or walnut halves, toasted

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add cream cheese and orange peel; beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar and juice and beat on low speed until smooth.
Trim rounded tops from cakes. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on your serving dish. Spoon some frosting onto the layer; spread to edges. Repeat 2 more times with cake and frosting; top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake (layer will be thin).
Take chopped walnuts and press them onto the side of the cake and if you like some on the top.

Thanks Epicurious...I'm looking forward to devouring this tomorrow :)