It’s pumpkin season. And I don’t mean nasty fake pumpkin spiced tacos or any of the weird garbage fast-food places pander this time of year.

Fresh baked pumpkin bakes the best treats. Mixing your own allspice, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg can create the ultimate pumpkin concoction, but this year the kids and I create a simple pumpkin cookie recipe that bakes really well as a cookie cake and I wanted to give it to anyone who loves baking from scratch, or is tempted to try for the first time.

So break out the Halloween music, dance around and test this baby out.

Pumpkin Chip Cookie Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Baking Pumpkin or can of pumpkin puree

½ c. milk (only if baking the pumpkin)

2 c. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

1 egg

½ c. chocolate chip cookies

½ c. white chocolate chip cookies

Optional frosting

¼ c. butter

2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 c. milk

Orange food coloring

Directions:

Baking the pumpkin:

Preheat oven to 400º. Cut top off of pumpkin as if carving a jack-o-lantern. Slice down 1 side. Then, slice the opposite side and pull apart to make 2 halves.

Scoop out the seeds and innards. (You can separate the seeds for planting or soak in salt water to drain and bake later-it’s super easy if you spread them on a buttered cookie sheet and bake them at 250º until browned).

Lay pumpkin halves on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 mins-1 hour. When done, let cool and peel off skin. Scoop the pumpkin flesh into a blender and blend well with the milk.

Making the Batter:

Turn oven down to 350º

Now pour the pumpkin puree into a med-large bowl. Mix in everything else but the frosting ingredients. Pour into a greased round cake pan and smooth out.

Bake for 30-40 mins, until cooked through. Let cool.

Optional:

If wanting to add frosting border /embellishments mix butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a medium bowl. Add food coloring to give it a festive hue then decorate as desired.