Easy Pumpkin Cake

When the summer season turns to fall, I crave the flavor of pumpkin. So many "pumpkin-spice" offerings on the grocery shelves sound great, but taste like artificial pumpkin flavor.  This is an easy cake to make and tastes like real pumpkin!  All you have to do is buy one can of pumpkin and all the other ingredients will be available in your pantry.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Mix well.

In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat until light.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the pumpkin.
Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.
Cool completely on wire rack.

Frost, if desired with Cream Cheese Icing (see below) or canned vanilla icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 - 2.5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted.

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add two cups sugar and beat until smooth. Add additional sugar if frosting is too thin. Spread evenly over cooled cake.