Welcome Chickies and Awesome Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cider Sauce

So one week ago today, we got a little box from the post office with our 19 adorable little chicks inside!  We were super excited and they are so CUTE!

This was the first time I had ordered chicks and never thought they would arrive in such a tiny box!

Here they are in their new, temporary home {I had put together 3 large boxes to make one long "room" for them; food and water at one end and the heat lamp on the other.}...

Very temporary because I discovered that if the cats had a chance they could "fall" right through the top openings which I had left for myself to feed, water and love these little ones!  {Luckily I discovered this before I had picked up the chicks!}

But since I had the unexpected possibility of cats in with the chicks and I didn't want to take the chance of this happening; I drilled a small hole in the top of our large dog carrier and hung the light in there.  Now the cats and the kids can't get to the chicks but can watch them as they please.  

We've moved the carrier into the coop with the other birds so that they can start to get used to each other.  

The only problem with it is that the cats think it makes for a great place to sit and watch the chicks and take a nap throughout the day!

Our wonderful girl, Toothless has also started laying; her's is the beautiful green colored egg.

So on to the great recipe I am also going to share with you!  I like pumpkin anything, any time of year.  But I have been craving a good pumpkin dessert, not the usual pumpkin and cream cheese combination!  I don't know if its the change in the weather or what but pumpkin just sounds so good!

So here is my new favorite pumpkin cake; I found the recipe from Mommy's Kitchen!  Its light, fluffy  and has such great flavor that you don't really need anything to top it, although the Caramel Cider Sauce is tasty.

Ingredients for Cake:
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 cup sugar
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-dash of nutmeg
-3/4 cup oil {I always use canola; I wonder if you could substitute applesauce too; I bet you could, for a super healthy cake!}
-15 oz. canned pumpkin
-2 eggs

Ingredients for Caramel Cider Sauce:
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tbsp cornstarch
-2/3 cup apple cider {I made my own, its very easy!}
-2 tbsp milk
-2 tbsp butter
-salt to taste

*Instead of the milk and butter {I did this as a substitute for heavy whipping cream} you can use the 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream, plus 1 tbsp butter that the original recipe calls for.

Process for Cake:
1. Combine sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, oil, pumpkin and eggs in a mixing bowl.  Mix well.

2. Add flour to mixture.  Mix well, scrap sides and mix again.

3. Spread batter mixture in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

4. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes.

5. Cool cake completely.

Process for Caramel Cider Sauce:
1. Whisk brown sugar and cornstarch in an unheated saucepan.

2. Add cider, milk, butter {or heavy whipping cream} and salt.  

3. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until large bubbles form around the edges, about 3 minutes.  
4. Reduce heat to low and allow to thicken, about 2 minutes.

To serve, slice cake and top with warm Caramel Cider Sauce!

This would also be great with vanilla ice cream!  Enjoy!