Pumpkin Walnut Cake

       Halloween is just around the corner, and today I've been wanting pumpkin cake.  Now I've got a wonderful cookbook with all sorts of lovely cakes, but I accidentally left it at my mom's yesterday, and she has been bad about sending me the recipe, so I decided to play and figure one out for myself.  I figured this would best if it was similar to my carrot cake recipe, so I started from there, of course with a few little differences.  First mix together your dry ingredients
1 cup AP flour
1 cup cake flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cardamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Now in a mixer with a whip attachment add 2 cups white sugar  and  4 eggs.  Mix on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture lightens in color.  Then slowly drizzle in 1 cup vegetable oil, and mix on high for 30 seconds to create an emulsification.     Next add a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree,
2 TBS water and
2 tsp vanilla.  
At this point you will add in 3 portions the dry ingredients, and mix until just combines, about 5 seconds each time.  Scrape the sides and add
1 cup chopped walnuts. Mix for another 5 seconds then put in a well greased bunt pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.  Cool for 10-15 minutes, until it will easily come out of the pan.  You will want to put the frosting on while it is still warm, so that it runs down the sides a bit.
      For the frosting use a hand mixer to mix
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TBS milk
1 tsp vanilla
Drizzle the frosting over the top of the slightly warm cake and let it drip down the sides.  Super Moist and flavorful. 

      I've been seeing these on Pintrest where you make two bunt cakes and stack them together then frost with orange frosting for a pumpkin cake.  Be sure if you are going to try it with this one that you cake is well chilled, I'm a little scared to do it for myself with a whole cake because I worry that it's just not dense enough, but maybe if you have some mini bunts you should go for it!   Enjoy your treat and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!