Creamy Pumpkin Flan Cake

To make this dessert, you really need a flan pan such as this one from Pampered Chef

Cake layer:

1 c. canned or cooked pumpkin
1/3 c. oil
3/4 c. Succanat
1/4 c. soy milk
1/4 c. ground flax
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
a sprinkle of cloves, nutmeg & ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix the pumpkin, oil, succanat, milk, flax and vanilla together in a bowl. In a sieve or sifter, place the flours, baking powder, soda, spices & salt. Sift dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare pan -- spray with cooking spray & cover the center section of the pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan. Smooth. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cake. Tip cake out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

1 T. vegan gelatin
1 c. hot water
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup dates
1/4 c. coconut oil
1 T vanilla
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup pumpkin

Blend the first 4 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients. Blend all together until very smooth. If it's too thick to blend gradually add a little more water. Place in a container, cover & chill.

Caramel Topping:

Cook one 12 oz can of coconut milk with 1 cup of unrefined sweetener (sucanat, etc) for about 30 minutes over medium heat. Add 2 T. of flour & 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir until smooth. Cool.

After the cake is cool, spread the Pumkin filling into the depression in cake. Drizzle with Caramel Topping (you won't need the whole recipe, so you can use the rest for another purpose -- like dipping your finger into it & licking!) Garnish cake with chopped, roasted pecans.