A Kitchen Keeper Original - Pumpkin Pudding Cake with Pecan Sugar Crust

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Years ago, I kept my freezer stocked with treats for friends who dropped by for a quick visit. These days, those same friends, who, by the way, are some of the best looking seniors in Oregon, usually avoid sweets. As a result, my freezer is heavy on vegetables and fish, and desserts and snacks are kept to a bare minimum. We do, however, make an exception during the holidays, and this weekend I began to feed the freezer for Thanksgiving and Christmas visitors. This pumpkin cake is one of Bob's favorites. It is spicy and moist and has a texture much like that of an apple pudding cake or fudgy brownie. I cut the cake into serving size pieces, individually wrap and freeze them, then reheat them when needed in the microwave. I love to serve this cake warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream. The pumpkin make it seasonally appropriate, but it is different than most of the desserts that are served at this time of year. This is a very rich cake, so you'll want to keep serving size reasonably small. If you do not freeze the cake, keep it in the refrigerator for safe keeping. I know those of you who try this pudding cake will love it. Here is how it's made.

Pumpkin Pudding Cake with Pecan Sugar Crust...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Pecan Sugar Crust
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted
Cake
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour + additional for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (15-oz.) can solid-pack pumpkin puree
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, + additional tablespoon for greasing baking pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown brown sugar
3 large eggs

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, then dust with flour. Set aside.
2) To make sugar crust: Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs Stir in pecans. Set aside.
3) Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, mace, ginger, clove and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
4) Whisk pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla together in a separate medium bowl. Set aside.
5) Combine butter and both sugars (white and brown) in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed using paddle attachment until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Then add eggs and beat 1 minute longer.
6) Reduce speed to low adding flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.
7) Spoon batter into pan. Smooth top and then sprinkle it with sugar crust mixture made in Step 2 above. Transfer pan to oven and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Move pan to a wire rack. Allow cake to cool until pan is still warm but cool enough to handle. Cut into serving pieces and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. Yield: 16 servings.