Pumpkin - Gingerbread Streusel Cake

This moist spicy cake topped with a buttery caramel sauce is comfort food at its best. Posted for ZWT 2006 - Canada - from Land O' Lakes recipes.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• Streusel

• 1⁄4 cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped pecans or 1⁄2 cup walnuts
• 2  tablespoons  cold butter

• Cake

• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1  cup canned pumpkin
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1⁄4 cup dark molasses
• 2  eggs
• 1  tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see note below)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon salt

• Topping

• 1  cup  caramel ice cream topping, heated

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F Combine all streusel ingredients except butter in small bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
2. Combine sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cake ingredients. Beat until well mixed.
3. Pour cake batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with streusel. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Serve cake warm or cool with ice cream topping.
5. * Pumpkin Pie Spice
6. 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon EACH ground nutmeg and ground cloves can be substituted for 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice.