It's the Great Pumpkin Cake, Charlie Brown

We were asked to bring a dessert to Christmas dinner at Leslie's parents house and someone suggested we make this cake. It was a nice contrast to the other desserts people brought and it seemed pretty popular. And by that I mean that a good amount of it got eaten.

The Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Cake (from Key Ingredient)

1 Box Spice Cake Mix

1 Small Can Pumpkin Puree - 15 oz.

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk - 14 oz.

1 Tub Cool Whip - 8 oz.

1/2 Bag Heath Bits

Caramel Sundae Sauce

Mix together cake mix and pumpkin puree in a large bowl until smooth. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake according to the cake mix directions. Remove from oven and let cake cool for 10 mins, then use the bottom of a wooden spoon, or other utensil, pokes holes in the cake. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake making sure to fill the holes. Refrigerate for 30 mins and then spread the cool whip over the top of the cake. Sprinkle on Heath bits and drizzle on caramel. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

End Results and Final Thoughts

This is a very simply recipe that produces a nice result. I followed all the directions (crazy, I know) and it came out wonderfully. The pumpkin puree (substituted for the typical ingredients the cake mix calls for) adds a good flavor (assuming you like pumpkin) and the Heath bits provide a nice crunchy accent to the soft cake. One warning, though - this will start to get mushy if it isn't eaten fairly quickly. We had some more about four days after making it and I wasn't a huge fan of the texture. The is a dessert best eaten quickly (can't say I see a problem there). Other than that, I don't really have any complaints. It turned out nicely and was enjoyed by everyone. I think we'll make this again, if nothing else just because it's so easy to make.