This one's good, and the cream cheese ribbon is an unexpected treat. * Exported from MasterCook * Pumpkin Ribbon Bread Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cup pumpkin 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt (optional) 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 2/3 cup flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup chopped nuts (optional) Cream cheese filling ingredients: 1 pkg cream cheese -- (8 oz.) softened 1/3 cup sugar 1 TB flour 1 egg 2 tsp grated orange peel Combine pumpkin, oil & eggs; beat well. Add sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon, flour, baking soda, and nuts, mixing to blend. Pour 1/4 of the batter in 2 greased 7 1/2 x 3 1/2" bread pans. Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together. Add egg and mix to blend. Stir in orange peel. Carefully spread cream cheese filling mixture over batter in the pans. Cover the cream cheese filling with the remaining batter. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until bread tests done. Cool 10 minutes in pans before turning out on a rack to cool. Store in the refrigerator. Joyce's 1997 2nd place Pumpkin Bread Posted to Friendly Freezer on 10-19-02 by Angela angela@seelyworld.com Source: "http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/6734/recipe.html" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

i've made the cherry dump cake the night before and it was good the following day. Don't see why you couldn't do the same with the pumpkin cake. Or you could mix the wet ingred. and spices together and refrigerate that overnight. Next morning sprinkle the cake mix and nuts, drizzle with butter and bake. May take longer unless the wet ingred. are brought up to room temp. first.

Lucy, another way to do it so that the pecans and butter don't burn would be to place them in the bottom of the pan like this one: 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 3/4 cup chopped pecans 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup vegetable or canola oil 4 eggs 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin Whipped cream for garnish Heat oven to 325°. Heat brown sugar, butter and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Pour into an ungreased 9X13X2-inch baking pan (use clear, not dark). Sprinkle with pecans. Mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices; set aside. Beat sugar, oil, eggs and pumpkin in a large bowl for one minute. Gradually beat in flour mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes. Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Place heatproof serving tray upside down on pan; turn tray and pan over. Let pan remain over cake for about 5 minutes before removing. Cool completely. *Recipe from Gold Medal "Cakes and Pies" Marilyn

Like cloud swift, I use all butter for flavor, but if I have to decorate and want things to look just so, I use half butter and half shortening, as the shortening doesn't melt as quickly or get as soft. Like Sol, I don't think the cake sounds too heavy, as long as you don't skimp on that beating step. I know I hurried it once on Pixistix' Hot Milk Cake and got a very heavy cake, but it's far lighter when I don't hurry that beating in the beginning, then don't overbeat when I add the flour at the end. I'd also go for the cake flour if you are worried about the texture or density of the cake. The cake flour is lower in protein (i.e. less gluten development if overbeaten) and more finely textured. It generally makes a lighter cake. That said, I think it will be fine with all purpose, which I use for most of my baking, from cake to bread. I only buy the "specialty flour" when I'm doing something special, like my stepdaughter's wedding cake next week. As our Sol is a baker extraordinaire, she's never steered me wrong. If she says so, then I do it. And here some people thought I was a good baker, maybe I'm not that good after all, maybe it's just Sol's good advice and the recipes from here! Annie