Fall Favorite - Pumpkin Pie Cake Dessert

I'm not a pumpkin person, but this is Heaven on Earth with whipped cream. Come to think of it, I'm not a whipped cream person, either, but there's just something about the combination here. This easy dessert has a consistency somewhere between pumpkin pie filling and bread pudding, depending on the moisture content of the canned pumpkin.

This is by no means an original recipe - it was shared with me by a friend who got it off the internet, so I'd have to say the source is unknown - but I have made a couple of healthier and delicious substitutions. You may not think it's elegant enough for Thanksgiving Dinner; real whipped cream atop pretty individual bowls would make it so. Otherwise, it's more like what some people fondly refer to as a dump cake. Bonus: you can make it ahead of time and warm it in the oven while dinner is being served.

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE DESSERT

1 29oz (796ml) can organic pumpkin

1 c organic sugar

1 t salt

1 T cinnamon

3 lg eggs

1 can organic coconut milk

1 organic yellow cake mix

1 c pecans, chopped

1 c butter, melted

Combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt, cinnamon, eggs & coconut milk and pour into a 9x12 or 9x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top and dribble the melted butter on. Do not mix further. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes. Serve w/ real whipped cream for a special treat.