Recipe: Purple Ribbon Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

PURPLE RIBBON PUMPKIN CAKE
Source: A 1989 Hometown Collection America's Best Recipes

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 (16oz) can pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
Cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)
Pecan halves (garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a tube pan.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar and eggs; beat at high speed until light and fluffy.

Add pumpkin and oil, beating well. Gradually add the flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed just until blended.

Pour batter into prepared tube pan.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for one hour or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Frost top and sides of cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Garnish with pecan halves.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups sifted powdered sugar

Combine cream cheese and vanilla, beating at medium speed of mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until mixture reaches spreading consistency. Makes 1 1/2 cups.