31st October 2009

• Happy Halloween! The other day I had Pumpkin Spice Cake. It is so delicious this time of the year, but I tend to be a squash/pumpkin fan in my culinary meals often anyway. Pumpkin, being an orange vegetable is very good for you and can help prevent cancer and other diseases.
• Pumpkin Spice Cake
• 1 1/4 cups shortening
• 2 organic free range eggs, beaten
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup chopped pecan (optional, can also use raisins)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, eggs, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chopped pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Have a happy and safe Halloween if you celebrate it. Make sure that you are dressed warm if you go trick-or-treating, take a flashlight, don't wear dark costumes and only eat packaged candy (and not all at one sitting!).