PRALINE PUMPKIN CAKE

And speaking of birthdays... this is the cake I made for my daughter-in-love's birthday this year. She wanted a big ol' roast beef dinner, which I made. And then she requested this for her BD dessert. It was so moist and so yummy and so pumpkiny and "Fally." Great cake! She deserves this and SO much more!

PRALINE PUMPKIN CAKE

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 box super moist yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 container rich & creamy cream cheese icing
Caramel topping, if desired
Additional chopped pecans for garnish

Heat oven to 325. In a 1 quart heavy saucepan, stir together the butter, whipping cream and brown sugar. Cook over low heat stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 2 (8" or 9") round cake pans, sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup chopped pecans.
In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp of the pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in each pan.
Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 5 minutes, remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Stir remaining 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice into frosting. 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 and spread remaining half of frosting to edge of layer. Drizzle lightly with caramel topping and garnish with additional chopped pecans. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
16 servings.