Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

INGREDIENTS
4 cups sweet potato, cubed

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick of butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup cream or half and half

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

 1/4 cup orange juice

 PECAN TOPPING                   

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees . Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash. (note:  you can certainly use canned sweet potatoes for this recipe as well)               
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, maple syrup, eggs, salt, pumpkin pie spice, butter, cream, orange juice, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Glaze

Good Morning!  Well, weather has been a little chilly here in Florida... a crisp 70 degrees brrr..... lol....  Last night I made this AMAZING pumpkin cake and to make it even better, it was the easiest cake I've ever made!  You use a regular box cake mix and add a few special touches to it and voila!  It came out super moist and not overly sweet.  It's a winner for the family.

Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Glaze

For the Cake:
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 tbsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Box Yellow Cake Mix

For the Glaze:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup chopped pecans
3 tblsp of Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla

For this recipe, you will be using all the normal ingredients you would use in making your box cake, with the addition of the canned pumpkin and spices. 

Empty the contents of the boxed cake mix and it's ingredients along with pumpkin puree into a large bowl.  Using a hand-mixer or stand mixer beat until well incorporated. The batter will be very thick, but will come together nicely.

Pour batter into a greased 7 x 11 X 2 pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then flip onto a platter.

Make the glaze while you're waiting.

Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, milk,  and  pumpkin pie spice.  Whisk until combined.  Glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more sugar or milk if needed. Add chopped pecans.  Pour over the cake while still warm. Reserve some to pour over each slice when served.

Serve warm or room temperature.