Praline Pumpkin Cake

I was going to post another recipe today but I thought with Thanksgiving coming up this would be more appropriate and some of you might like to make this for your Thanksgiving dessert. It is delicious!  It comes from Betty Crocker and starts with a mix but you add a few extra ingredients to really bump it up a notch.  It is so darn pretty too! 

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1 box Betty Crockert SuperMoist yellow cake mix

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.  In 1 quart heavy saucepan, stir together butter, whipping cream and brown sugar.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted.  Pour into two ungreased  9 or 8 inch round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup pecans.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, then on medium speed for two minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in each pan.

Bake 41 to 47 minutes of until cake springs back when touched lightly in center.  Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack.  Cool completely, about 1 hour.  (I removed mine after 10 minutes).

Frosting (my recipe)
2  (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softenend
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups confectioners's sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
caramel topping, if desired
additional chopped pecans, if desired

Mix together on medium speed cream cheese and butter.  Sift sugar and pumpkin pie spice and add gradually to cream cheese mixture.
To assemble cake, place 1 layer, praline side up, on serving plate.  Spread with half of the frosting.  Top with second layer, praline side up; spread remaining frosting to edge of layer.  Drizzle with caramel topping and additional pecans.  Store loosely covered in refrigerator.