Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Prepare and bake cakes in 12-cup fluted tube pans according to package directions; cool. For filling, melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually add cream and sugar, stirring constantly until thick. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and salt. Fold in pecans; cool. Cut thin slice of bottom of each cake. Spread one cake bottom with filling; put cakes together with bottoms together. Set aside. In a bowl, cream butter and shortening. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add milk until desired consistency is reached. Combine red and yellow food coloring to make orange; tint about three-fourths of the frosting orange. Tint remaining frosting green. Place a small glass upside down in the center of the cake to support the "stem". Put a dollop of frosting on the glass and top with an ice cream cone or banana. Cut the cone or banana to the correct length; frost with green frosting. Frost cake with orange frosting. If desired, add chocolate water crumbs as "dirt" around cake. Pipe green vines on cake and "dirt" if desired.