Can I say how excited I am for Halloween? Despite the fact that my husband and I got engaged on Halloween (long story) it has never really been a holiday that I eagerly anticipate. This year I have a 5 month old that I get to dress up and now I'm just counting down the days until the 31st. She's going as Amelia Earhart and let me tell you, she looks stinkin' adorable in her costume. My husband has some recently discovered mad skills with a sewing machine and he's made her a little cap, aviator jacket and pants. She has no idea why we keep putting these clothes on her and stand there giggling, clapping our hands and taking pictures of her, but that's what has happened almost every day since he made them. I'm so excited to have her greet trick-or-treaters at the door all decked out in her costume.

I think my Halloween excitement has spilled over to my cooking, because I made this cake this week for no reason at all. At least, no good reason. I just really wanted to eat it. Doesn't it looks so pretty and Halloween-y with the light orange and black layers? It's hard to believe that it is so ridiculously easy to make. Mix pumpkin mixture, layer with chocolate graham crackers, refrigerate, and overnight it turns into a layered cake. Halloween magic. The chocolate grahams absorb extra moisture from the pumpkin mixture and soften into cake-like layers, and the pumpkin layers get more solid during the long chill in the fridge. The cake isn't overly sweet and has just enough pumpkin flavor. The chocolate isn't all that pronounced, but it blends well with the pumpkin. You can't beat how impressive it looks when you slice it and serve it. The only thing I suggest that if you decide to make this yourself, make sure you've got people to share it with. My "no reason" cake has turned into an i-guess-I-need-to-workout-today-because-I-just-had-three-pieces-of-cake cake. Just warning you.

No Bake Pumpkin Chocolate Layered Cake

By HeatOvenTo350 Published 10/26/2012

Ingredients

• 3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 28 chocolate graham crackers (12 oz total)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Beat cream cheese and sugars in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Then beat in pumpkin, half-and-half, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
2. Lay enough graham crackers in a 9- by 9-in. pan to cover bottom (cut to fit if necessary). Spread a quarter of pumpkin mixture over crackers with an offset spatula. Layer 3 more times, ending with pumpkin mixture.
3. Cover; chill overnight. Dust with cocoa, cut cake into squares and serve.

1. Note: To serve it on a plate (out of the pan), line pan with plastic wrap so it hangs over the edges. Start your layers with a quarter of the pumpkin mixture, top with graham crackers, and repeat 3 times, ending with crackers. To serve, lift from pan using plastic wrap as handles. Hold a plate facedown on top of the cake and flip over together. Remove wrap, smooth with a spatula, and trim edges and dust with cocoa powder.

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 hours
Recipe Source: Adapted from Sunset Magazine

Posted in: Dessert