Magazine Challenge: Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So.
Despite the fact that we're into a new year and I am working my way through 2006 in magazines, there are still things from last year and 2005 that I never got around to making.  The recipe here is a case in point.  Back in November, I thought this looked good, and I even bought the pumpkin to make it.  Then I didn't.  I'm not sure why - perhaps I made other desserts.  Perhaps I was on an ice cream kick.  Who knows?
What I do know is this:  I realized this afternoon that we'd finished the cookies I'd made for dessert at lunch, and I didn't have anything to offer after dinner.  I am my mother's daughter.  When I started to think about what I had in the house, I remembered the can of pumpkin in the cupboard.  I looked through the list of things from last year and found 2 pumpkin recipes - Maple Pumpkin Custards and this cake.  I didn't want to mess with a water bath, so I made this instead.  I'm sure either would be lovely.
J came in while I was baking and thought that the cake smelled wonderful.  It did.  I was also interested in the icing because it's three ingredients, and there's no icing sugar involved.
J and I just taste tested the cake with a large glass of cold milk.  I recommend that too.  But even if you wait until it's more seasonal, this is a nice, quick cake.
I present to you now from the November 2005 issue of Everyday Food, Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter, melted
2-1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1-1/2 c sugar
15 oz pumpkin puree

Method:
1.  Grease a 9" square cake pan.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2.  In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients (flour through spices).  In a second bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, butter and pumpkin until smooth.  Add flour mixture, stirring until well combined.
3.  Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes, until golden and a pick in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a rack to finish cooling.  Cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c liquid honey

Method:
1.  Beat cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.  Add honey and incorporate well before frosting cooled cake.

From Everyday Food, November 2005

You can also use a Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie spice in the recipe.  I didn't have any, so I used all the spices listed above.  The spice in the cake is subtle, which I really liked.

I mixed this up with just a fork.  First to stir together the dry ingredients, then the wet stuff.

And then the two together.  The batter was thick when ready for the pan.  It spread easily, but I didn't really smooth the top.  I probably should have.

But when you put frosting on it, it didn't really matter.  More little spaces to get filled.  With a glass of milk, yum.