Pumpkin. Chai. Cake. with Maple Frosting

Three magnificent flavors come together in this gorgeous, decadent cake.

When you can't decide which delightful flavor to have, have them all! Though many people use canned pumpkin in their recipes, most are shocked to find that their beloved canned pumpkin is actually largely made up of butternut squash.

In this recipe, adapted from Half Baked Harvest (highly recommend their blog), I substituted pureed butternut squash for the pumpkin, and it made the cake even more delicious (if that's even possible).

To make this delicious dessert, you will need:

Cake

• 3 c. all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 T. ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 tsp. all-spice

• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

• 1 c. butter

• 1 1/2 c. sugar

• 1 T. vanilla extract

• 4 eggs

• 1 1/2 c. butternut squash puree

Frosting

• 1 1/2 c. butter (room temp.)

• 4 oz. cream cheese (room temp.)

• 2 c. powdered sugar

• 1/4 c. honey

• 1/4 c. maple syrup

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, then grease 2 (8 inch) round cake pans.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, all-spice, nutmeg, and pepper.

3. Beat together the butter and sugar. Once light and creamy, add vanilla and eggs. Mix well, then add in the butternut squash.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix in batches, mixing well between each addition.

5. Divide batter among the cake pans and bake 35-40 minutes, or until the tops are set and lightly browning.

6. Meanwhile, make your frosting. Cream butter and cream cheese together until light in color and texture. Add powdered sugar, honey, and syrup. Beat until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla. If you need to thicken the frosting, add more powdered sugar.

7. Once cakes are done, let them cool in pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake pans and turn them out on to cooling racks.

8. Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.

9. To assemble, put one cake layer on a plate. Slather with 1/3 of the frosting. Add another cake to the top and coat the cake with the remaining frosting. Chill the cake to make it easier to cut and decorate as your heart desires!

Thanksgiving is coming! This recipe makes a simple, yet impressive addition to any holiday table. Make and enjoy!