Cake Baked in a Pumpkin

Ingredients

• 1 pumpkin, approximately 3 pounds
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• For the frosting:
• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 box confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Start with the pumpkin: slice away its top third, then scrape out all the stringy pulp and seeds. Clean the cavity as thoroughly as you can, and save the seeds for roasting and snacking. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it nearby.
2. Make the batter. In a large bowl, stir together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, carrots, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon with a wooden spoon until everything is evenly combined. Gently fold in the nuts. Pour the batter into the pumpkin, stopping when it is 3/4 full. Any extra batter can become cupcakes. If the pumpkin is not quite filled to 3/4 full, no panic: the cake will puff as it bakes, and frosting can take care of the rest.
3. Set the filled pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet, where the parchment can catch any batter that drips. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cake surface just starts to brown. Turn the oven down to 275 degrees F, then continue baking for up to 40 more minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester pushed into the cake comes out mostly clean. The exact timing depends on the size of the pumpkin, so it may take less or more time; the pumpkin’s moisture makes this bake longer than a standard cake.
4. Take the pumpkin out of the oven and cool it for about 10 minutes. Move it to a plate, then refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 3 hours.
5. While the cake cools, make the frosting. In an electric mixer with a paddle attached, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy and smoothly combined. Add about 1/3 of the sugar and the vanilla, then beat well, pausing occasionally to scrape the bowl. Add the remaining sugar gradually, beating until the frosting is thick but still spreadable.
6. Spread the frosting over the cake. If a tall mound of frosting is not your style, hold some back and serve it in small dishes with each portion.
7. To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin into wedges, so guests can separate the cake from the pumpkin shell. Or, if you are in a decadent and happily messy mood, scoop generous portions straight from the shell. No scolding here.