Vermont Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Last weekend my office held their annual Christmas party at the boss’ house. He makes a decadently delicious prime rib and all of the other dishes are divvied up. I lucked out with dessert! After the excitement settled, I realized I had to choose a recipe! With so many wonderful ones to choose from I was in a bit of a debacle.

Conferring with a friend at the office after a night of Googling, it turned out we both ended at the same recipe. It must have been fate that this Vermont Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting was to be our dessert at dinner.

This cake was no simple feat, but well worth the work. My photos of this cake do it’s taste and beauty no justice.

The cake was so yummy I wasn’t able to snag a picture of a piece before it was gone, so let’s take a look at Sing for Your Supper’s photo…(hers is prettier anyways)

Mouth watering, right? The cake has a wonderful flavor of pumpkin and cinnamon and the creamy frosting is just unspeakably good. It balances the cake perfectly. Ive got to work on the aesthetics of my cake, but the flavor needs no changing! That’s what really counts in my book, at least for a first attempt.

Recipe courtesy of Sing for Your Supper

(Printable Version)

For the Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I used a mixture of 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves and 3/4 tsp. nutmeg)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans. Combine flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat sugar and butter in a large mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment until creamy.

Add eggs one at a time; beat for 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin, evaporated milk, water and vanilla extract. Gradually add the flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons maple extract
squeeze of lemon juice

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add in the maple extract and lemon juice. Mix well. Refrigerate until needed.

To assemble:
Cut each layer in half horizontally with a long, serrated knife. Frost between layers and on top of cake, leaving sides unfrosted. Garnish as desired.