Recipe: Pumpkin-Gingerbread Streusel Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce (and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip/Topping) (not Bob Evans)

PUMPKIN-GINGERBREAD STREUSEL CAKE

FOR THE STREUSEL:
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 tablespoons cold LAND O LAKES Butter
FOR THE CAKE:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES Butter, softened
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup full flavor (dark) molasses
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice*
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 cup Homemade Caramel Sauce (recipe follows) (or 1 cup caramel ice cream topping, heated)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all streusel ingredients except butter in small bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Combine sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2 to 3 minutes). Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cake ingredients. Beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).

Pour cake batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with streusel. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve cake warm or cool with ice cream topping.

Makes 16 servings
Source: Land O Lakes

*Substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

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HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

1/2 cup Land O Lakes butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil (5 to 8 minutes). Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in whipping cream; return to a boil (1 minute). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

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PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE DIP

Leftover pumpkin? Combine:
1 (8-ounce) package softened cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar in small mixer bowl. Beat at low speed until creamy. Add 3/4 cup pumpkin, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat at low speed until creamy. Serve as a dip with fresh fruit slices or gingersnap cookies, or as a spread for bagels. Makes 1 3/4 cups dip

Hi Wrenie,

This isn't a Bob Evan's recipe and I don't know if it's similar to what they serve, but I thought it might make a nice substitute. The included Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip would be tasty as a topping. You could thin it by beating in a few drops of milk (or orange juice) at a time until you get the right consistency for a topping.

Happy Holiday Baking!

Betsy