Pumpkin Cake with Eggnog Cream

I realize it's not the season for all these holiday themed treats, but I figured I'd keep going as long as I started in on Christmas treats.

This one doesn't have to be used for Christmas, but is more of a fall/winter dessert. After all, you have to be able to buy eggnog for it! I found this recipe a couple of years ago, but just got around to making it this year. My in-laws all seemed to enjoy it, and it also looked really pretty. :)

Here is the recipe:

Cake:
1 16-oz. can pumpkin (not pie filling), (the recipe recommends using name brand)
3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
3 eggs
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger

Icing:
2 c. powdered sugar
milk (a few teaspoons)
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Garnish (optional):
nutmeg
1/4 c. toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped (I used chopped almonds)

Cream:
2 c. heavy cream (I used regular whipping cream and it worked fine)
1/2 c. eggnog (Light didn't work well when I tried it. Sorry, you've got to use the full-strength stuff here.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease and flour a bundt pan. (Or spray thoroughly with Pam with flour.) Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Stir flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger together in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until smooth. pour batter into prepared pan.Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Don't over bake or it will become dry.) Gently shake cake in pan or tap on counter to loosen. Turn out onto cake plate to cool.

Place powdered sugar into bowl. Add milk 1 tsp. at a time until you reach a thick "gravy" consistency. Add a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Drizzle over top of cooled cake and garnish by sprinkling lightly with nutmeg and nuts before glaze sets, if desired.

Beat heavy cream until quite stiff. Fold in eggnog to make soft peaks. Serve slices of cake with a generous dollop of the eggnog cream.

You can also use the cake recipe to make pumpkin muffins. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.