18. Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin-pie spice, (or 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp each allspice and cloves)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 (15 oz) can solid-pack pumpkin puree
Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 bar (8 oz) regular (or reduced-fat) cream cheese
1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, butter, and pumpkin puree until combined. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, and mix gently until smooth.
3. Turn batter into prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan, and cool completely, right side up, on a rack.
4. Make Honey Frosting: In a medium bowl, whisk butter, cream cheese, and honey until smooth.
5. Spread top of cooled cake with honey frosting. Cut cake into squares to serve.