In the mood for baking....

Now that the weather is cooling down, I am getting in the mood to bake. With a bake sale for Cub Scouts next weekend, I suspect we will try our hand at several items. Plus, holiday baking is practically upon us and the boys are clamouring to make different treats before Christmas.

One of the recipes that I make every year is Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake. My godmother got the recipe in the Providence, RI newspaper years ago. It was for squash cake, but since they do not sell canned squash in the deep south we substituted with canned pumpkin. For years I made this in a Bundt pan as a special Christmas season treat. But a few years ago, I experimented to bake it as muffins or in a loaf pan. All I did was adjust the baking time down. When I make it into muffins, I will freeze off part of the batch and just pop them into the toaster oven when we want a yummy snack.

Here's the recipe I use for anyone wanting to try this yummy treat. I'll add that one friend who swore up and down he hated all things pumpkin LOVED this cake.

3 cups flour (I sometimes do half white flour and half whole wheat pastry flour)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar (I don't put the full 2 cups in, maybe more like 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 cup)
1 cup oil
1 can pumpkin (small can)
12 oz. chocolate chips (you can get by with less)
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Mix all the ingredients by hand, folding in the chocolate chips at the end. Pour into a greased tube pan. Back in a preheated oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean.

If this gets your mouth watering, you might want to check out the Online Christmas Party. I spied a few other recipes that sound yummy.

I was set to bake this up for the book club meeting I was going to host last night. But, we ended up pushing it back a week. So, I will get to bake it when the temperatures are truly getting cold (highs in mid 40's). I just hope the boys do not dig in before the ladies come!