A moist and tender spiced pumpkin cake, served with a complimentary brown sugar-sweetened orange sauce.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Orange Sauce

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup mashed cooked pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Powdered sugar

Orange Sauce:

1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Garnish: orange rind strips

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla.
2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Pour into a greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan.
3. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.
4. Place a paper doily over cake; sift powdered sugar through a wire-mesh strainer over doily. Remove doily, and serve with Orange Sauce. Garnish, if desired.
5. For Orange Sauce: Whisk together all ingredients in a heavy saucepan until blended. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Serve warm or cool. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Makes 8 servings.