Caramel Frosted Pumpkin Pie Coffeecake

Happy Birthday to.........

ME

Today I am another year closer to being 1/2 a century old.

I'm my mother's age. Not mine!

It doesn't seem like I should be already.

Not once has turning another year older bothered me.

It has amazed me though. Amazed me that I am actually that old.

Amazed me that I don't feel any different than I did as a young girl.

This year is my first year away from my family for my birthday. That is the part that is the hardest for me. I guess Grumpy has a lot of work on his hands today to make up for all the love and attention I would have gotten at home. ;o)

While your here, enjoy a piece of this yummy coffeecake with me, I made two of these and took them to work this week and they were devoured in no time. I even heard one co-worker say that she "didn't even breath in between bites"! Make this if your feeling like pumpkin. If you've had enough of it already, save it for another day. It will be worth it, I promise!

Caramel Frosted Pumpkin Pie Coffeecake

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 cup candied walnuts
• Frosting:
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon karo syrup
• Preheat oven to 325. In large mixing bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in pumpkin, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside

Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add flour mixture to wet mixture gradually and mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined.

Divide batter between 2-9" round baking pans that have been coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle each cake with 1/4 cup of candied walnuts. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake is set and a toothpick comes out dry when inserted in center of cake.

When cake is done, make frosting. Place combined sugar and butter in heavy saucepan. Cook until sugar and butter is melted, stirring only occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 2-3 minutes then add milk, vanilla, salt, and karo syrup and boil another 1-2 minutes. Mixture will begin to thicken. Remove from heat and stir until no longer bubbly, frosting will be shiny and easy to pour. Drizzle evenly over both coffeecakes. Cool, cut, and enjoy! This reminded me a lot of a pumpkin pie, but not exactly. It was delicious though and addicting enough that I will definitely make it again! Enjoy :)