Luscious Four Layer Pumpkin Cake

Doesn't just the title make you want to drool?

{drip, drip...}

I started making this recipe several years ago after having it on my "Recipes-To-Try" list and oh, my goodness, it is ah-mazing!

No, seriously.

Of course, around here, we love anything pumpkin, so it was an immediate winner, but to make it even more amazing is the feast for the eyes that it is.

It's meant to be something rustic-looking and imperfect, which suits us perfectly, because we're pretty rustic and as far from being perfect as the east is from the west.

Are you ready?

Hold on to your hats, folks!

See what I mean about it not looking perfect?  But what about going-face-down-delicious?  Oh, yeah, baby.

Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice, divided
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
1/4 cup caramel topping (or is carmel?  hmmm....)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Grease and flour two round cake pans.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs, and 1 t. pumpkin pie spice on medium speed until well blended.  Pour into pans.  Bake 20-22 minutes or until done. Start dying because of the smell of goodness emanating from your oven.  Cool cakes completely.

Beat cream cheese on medium until creamy.  Add powdered sugar, remaining pumpkin, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; mix well.  Stir in Cool Whip.

Remove cakes from pans; cut each in half horizontally with a serrated knife.  Place bottom layer on a serving plate, spread 1/3 cream cheese mixture on top.  Repeat with two more layers.  Do not frost the top.  Lick all remaining mixture from spoon and bowl.  Drizzle with caramel and pecans.  This time, lick any syrup that may have accidentally gotten on your fingers.

If you somehow manage to not eat it all, store the leftovers in the refrigerator.

Leftovers?  What leftovers?

Exactly.

Easy-Peasy, Lemon-Squeezy Breaded Chicken Breasts

Do you ever get into a rut with cooking chicken?  We eat so much chicken around here that I'm surprised we haven't grown feathers.  And while we love chicken and it's a much healthier option than some other kinds of meat, it can get. very. boring. (zzzzzzzz....)

Oh! Pardon me.  I do apologize for that.

The other night in a last minute attempt to find something yummy and easy to do with our thawed chicken breasts I came across this recipe from Taste of Home.

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home)

Ingredients

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (we used dried, at half the measurement)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Dash paprika

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice and garlic. Dip chicken in butter mixture, then roll in crumbs.

Roll-up chicken jelly-roll style; place seam side down in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter mixture; sprinkle with paprika.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35 minutes or until juices run clear. 

**Paco cooked this up for me (what a guy) and didn't follow these directions exactly.  No surprise here.  He didn't roll the chicken up, which didn't seem to effect the cooking time or taste at all.  We also thought it needed just a little more salt and pepper.

This was a hit with all of us! It was quick and easy and tasted spectacular. I love when we find something so easy and tasty.  It will definitely be going on the menu rotation again.

More baking will be coming soon, I promise!  I have a bunch of willing taste testers around here.  

Until then, here's to more Smoochin' in the Kitchen! 

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Oh, boy.  It's been a while since we've posted any recipes.  Our crazy busy schedule drives me nuts sometimes.  We've been trying a ton of new ones, especially since it's.... baking season!

Wait.  Did you hear that?  I know it was angels singing.

Plus, I get to bake with pumpkin.  I. Love. Pumpkin.  I would marry it, but I think that it's illegal, or something like that.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it's shut-the-front-door!-kind-of-amazing.  It was an instant hit with my whole family and is now considered one of my favorite fall baking recipes.

This recipe originally came from the Tasty Kitchen.  Oh, my, my, my, my.

(photo from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:

⅓ cups Water
1 can Pureed Pumpkin (15 Oz)
2 whole Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Brown Sugar, Divided
½ cups Flour
⅓ cups Walnuts, Chopped
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
¼ cups Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9×13 pan with butter and pour batter into pan.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, walnuts, and melted butter. Use fingers to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.

When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

*I didn't have the ingredients on-hand to make the glaze top the cake with, so I left it off.  In my mind, the cake can stand on it's own two feet, and what tasty feet those are, too.  I would love to try it with the glaze someday, but for now, with five children in the house, we try to avoid sugar comas as much as possible.  I know, crazy, right?

I also used a spice cake mix, and it was wonderful!

Until next time (which is hopefully much more frequently than the last time), here's to more Smoochin' in the Kitchen!