Pumpkin Spice Cake with Brown Butter and Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

Now that fall has finally made it's way to Texas (you know, highs in the 90s rather than the 100s), I've started busting out the pumpkin recipes. Yesterday afternoon I wanted to make a quick and easy dessert and I found this recipe for a pumpkin cake with only two ingredients - spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin. I'm not sure what my problem is but I am absolutely unable to follow a recipe as written; so I followed some reviewers modifications and came up with an awesome recipe that has a lot more than two ingredients!

Don't even think about skipping the frosting because it makes the cake! I'm not even a big frosting fan, but I could not stop myself from licking the bowl clean. Delicious! The bourbon adds a nice taste in the background without being overpowering or boozy.

On a side note, it makes more frosting than you'll need to frost a 9-x-13-inch cake. I took the easy route and made a sheet cake, but next time I think I'll make it as a layer cake.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Brown Butter and Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from AllRecipes.com - here and here

for the cake

1 18.25-oz spice cake mix

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree

3 eggs

1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

for the frosting

3/4 cup butter, divided

1 8-oz package cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons good quality bourbon

4 cups powdered sugar (you may need more or less sugar depending on the desired sweetness and consistency)

2 tablespoons whole milk, optional

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease your cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, add cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Stir well to combine. Gently fold in nuts. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 25-40 minutes, depending on the size of your cake pan, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely.

For the frosting, melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter is caramel in color and giving off a nutty smell, about 10-15 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup butter. Pour browned butter over and let sit for 2-3 minutes. The heat from the browned butter will soften the cream cheese and cold butter. Add the vanilla and bourbon and mix until smooth. (Mine looked a little curdled at this point, but after several minutes of mixing, it came together beautifully.)

Add sugar, a little at a time, until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. Add milk if it gets too thick.

When the cake has cooled, smooth the frosting over it and serve!