You know how it is. In November all the stuff you'd be using for your Thanksgiving dinner goes on super sale. This sale continues off and on through the holidays, and so what do we do? We stock up, of course.

So it's no surprise then, that I happen to have a can or two of pumpkin hanging out in the pantry. I've been surfing the Internet for all the different things you can do with canned pumpkin (besides pie, I mean), and the list is amazing.

There's the canned pumpkin smoothie - delicious! There's a pumpkin/squash soup that's hearty and easy. There's the proverbial pumpkin bread, and pumpkin-chocolate chip cookies, too. And I saw the other day that the International House of Pancakes has come up with a pumpkin pancake. You probably have your favorite pumpkin recipes as well.

But I found a delectable and maybe unusual pumpkin recipe in my Aunt Annie's collection of saved Cook's Country magazines. (It's too bad Cook'n Recipe Organizer wasn't around back when this adorable little cook was well and cooking - she would have had all her recipe clippings and favorites in magazines organized and in one spot!)

This recipe is called Maple-Pumpkin Stack Cake, and it sounds and looks gorgeous. The blurb beside the recipe says "Tender pumpkin cake sandwiched with maple cream." Yum.

So here's the recipe. I will be making this for Sunday dinner. You make it too, and we can compare notes. When you think about it, there's a lot of inspiration in that lonely can of pumpkin!

Maple-Pumpkin Stack Cake

Light and deeply flavored cake layers are nestled between heavenly maple-flavored cream.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream chilled
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup pecans toasted and chopped


Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, butter parchment, then flour the pans. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Mix sugar, butter, and eggs on medium-high speed with mixer until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add pumpkin, and mix until incorporated. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until only few small flour streaks remain, about 30 seconds.

Spread one-fourth of batter (about 1 cup) in even layer in each prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 12 t o14 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert each cake onto large plate, peel off parchment, and re-invert onto lightly greased rack. Cool completely. Re-prep pans and repeat baking, etc., with remaining batter.

To assemble cake: Using dry, clean bowl, whip cream and maple syrup together on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Place 1 cake layer on cake plate or pedestal, then spread one-fourth of whipped cream (scant cup) evenly over top. Repeat with remaining cake layers and whipped cream. Sprinkle pecans on top and serve.

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.

Help on downloading recipes