• 1/2 canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing or extra oil
  • 2 1/2 cups sifted unbleacehd all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • `/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature of course
  • 1 1/2 cans canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 1 cup regular or low fat buttermilk
  • 1 cup Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips
  • 1 stick of salted butter
  • 1/2 cup softened cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 of a bag of powdered sugar

I just can’t get enough pumpkin, can you? I swear when October comes around I am in full pumpkin mode! Two of my favorites are my pumpkin chip scones and pumpkin pie bars.

This amazing pumpkin cake recipe is a variation on one I found in The Ultimate Cookbook by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough.

Position one of your oven racks in the center of your oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees F. Butter your favorite 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Remember to save those butter wrappers. They are great for greasing pans.

In a large bowl sift together flour, the baking powder, soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside while you work with your wet ingredients.

In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or in a bowl with a handheld mixer beat together both sugars and eggs. Beat them together until they are nice and thick and velvety and almost doubled in volume.  This will take about 5 minutes.

Beat in your oil, then the pumpkin puree until they are nice and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in your buttermilk – -this is the secret ingredient to this super moist cake!

Turn off your beaters and add half of your dry mixture. Beat on low speed just until incorporated. Add your remaining dry mixture. Beat for just a few seconds. using a rubber spatula give the batter a few turns to be sure to get any dry up from the bottom of your mixing bowl.

Place your cake batter in the prepared baking pan. Smooth out the top. Bake until  lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. this will take approximately 40 minutes.

Set the pan on a wire rack to let cool.

Make your chocolate cream cheese frosting. Can it get any better?

In a double boiler or in a pan set on top of a pan of simmering water or in your microwave melt your chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat. Stir until most of the chips have melted. A few softened chips add a nice texture to the otherwise smooth dessert. Add your softened cream cheese and vanilla extract. Stir until the cream cheese is incorporated and then stir in the powdered sugar a little at a time until your reach a frosting consistency.

Spread over your pumpkin cake and dig in!