Gingerbread Pumpkin Spice Cake with Carmel Sauce

Cake

2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup sugar
¾ cup butter
2/3 cup pecans, chopped
½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp salt

Carmel Sauce
½ cup butter
1 ¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbs. corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup molasses
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 egg

1. Combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in pecans. Press 1 ¼ cups crumb mix into an ungreased 9 x 9 square pan. To remaining mix add all spices, soda, buttermilk, molasses, pumpkin and egg. Mix well and pour evenly over crumb base. Bake at 350 for 40 - 50 min. or until center is done. Serve with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

1. Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, cooking about 1 minute or until brown sugar dissolves.
2. Stir in cream and return to boil. Remove from heat. Serve over warm cake with whipped cream or ice cream.

submitted by Veda Maples