Welcome Baby Dinner Part 4 - The Easy Part

Since I discovered that pumpkin has reappeared in stores, I have been really wanting to make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes (a Paula Deen recipe...if it has butter in the title it HAS to be Paule Deen!).  So, when I "scheduled" myself to make dinner for my friends, I planned to make this before anything else!  I have made Gooey Butter Cakes before but not pumpkin style.

  I have tasted it, though, and they are delicious!  Anyway, I do modify the recipe a bit by decreasing the butter and eggs in the filling, the amount is just not necessary.  My only problem...my oven!  For some reason, it burned the bottoms of the cake.  I had to shave the bottoms off them in order to make them presentable.  Otherwise, they were great...and I've been asked for the recipe several times. 

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes adapted from Paule Deen

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well.  Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.


In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.
Allow to cool. Overnight in the refrigerator isn't a bad idea!  Enjoy!