Pumpkin Spice Walnut Cake

Thank you Country Home for this wonderful recipe!! I wanted to share with you all:-) The recipe needed to be written out for ease of use so I did (they had it jumbled up on the website). I added walnuts to the recipe...love those! If you don't have BUTTERMILK then use cow's milk mixed with 2 TBSP of white Vinegar. I also included the frosting that I used instead of the one the site had. Also if you only have a 1/4 cup and not a 3/4 cup simply fill a 1 cup up to about 1/2 inch from the top other wise you'll have to use the 1/4 cup 3 times....just a nice little short cut I like to use:-)

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 15
• Yields: 2 LAYER CAKE

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  ounces  chopped walnuts (throw it into the batter or save it to sprinkle on top of the frosting in the end)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄4 cup  softened butter
• 1⁄4 cup shortening
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2  eggs
• 3⁄4 cup buttermilk or 3⁄4 cup  sour milk
• 3⁄4 cup canned pumpkin

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 350.
2. In a medium bowl stir together the first 10 ingredients listed; set aside.
3. beat softened butter and shortening on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
4. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Measure Buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup then stir in Pumpkin. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
7. Pour into prepared pans, spreading evenly.
8. Bake in a 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes (for a 9inch only 25 min) or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks.
9. CREAM CHEESE FROSTING BELOW.
10. 1 8oz pk cream cheese.
11. 2 cups powdered sugar (or more if you want a thicker frosting).
12. 4 TBSP unsalted butter.
13. 1 TBSP cream (optional).
14. Combine frosting in no particular order & use. Be sure to store the cake in the fridge due to the cream cheese in the frosting.