PUMPKIN PIE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350*. From a box of yellow cake mix, remove one cup dry mix and set aside. Make crust by combining remaining cake mix with:

½ C butter, melted and cooled

1 egg

Pat into bottom of a 9’ x 13” baking pan. Mix together:

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 large can pumpkin

1 ½ C sugar

½ tsp salt

3 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

(or 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1 tsp. cinnamon)

2 (12 oz.) cans evaporated milk

Pour over crust. Set aside. Mix together and sprinkle over pumpkin filling:

Reserved 1 C of cake mix

½ C sugar

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1/4 C butter, softened

1/4 C applesauce

1 C chopped pecans (optional)

Bake approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or until pumpkin is set. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.