Pumpkin Angel Food Cake

I recently saw this intriguing recipe for Pumpkin Angel Food Cake in an e-mail newsletter.  (Visit Gina at www.homejoys.blogspot.com for more great recipes.)  I adapted it slightly and include it below as an option for a lighter holiday dessert.  Though it received mixed reviews from my family, I especially enjoyed it on a cold night and loved the way it made the house smell as it baked – like Autumn for sure!

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake

16 oz. angel food cake mix

1 C. canned pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. ginger

In a small bowl, combine pumpkin, vanilla and spices.  Prepare the cake mix according to instructions.  Gently fold about a fourth of the pumpkin batter into the cake mixture.  Continue folding in the rest of the batter by fourths until mixed in.  Try not to overmix, but you want to get the batter mixed in well or you’ll have big pockets of pumpkin.  Gently spoon or pour into a tube pan and run a knife through the batter to remove air pockets.  Bake on lowest oven rack at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown, dry and cracked.  Invert pan and allow to cool.