Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cider Sauce

I found this over on Mommy's Kitchen (a blog I read quite often) and had to try it out.  It is delicious! The cake itself is a pretty typical Pumpkin Cake but it's the sauce that sends it over the top.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 - cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 - tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 - tsp. baking soda
1/2 - teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
3/4 - cup oil
1 -15 oz can pumpkin
2 - eggs

Directions:
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add oil, pumpkin and eggs. Whisk or use and electric mixer until blended. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool cake completely and top with the cider sauce before serving.


Caramel Cider Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 - cup brown sugar
1 - tablespoon cornstarch
2/3 - cup apple cider
2 - tablespoon heavy cream
1 - tablespoon butter (not margarine)
salt to taste

Sauce Directions:
In a saucepan, whisk brown sugar and cornstarch. Add cider and stir in the cream, butter and salt. Cook over med-hi heat, whisking constantly, until large bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and allow to thicken, about 2 minutes. Top with vanilla ice cream if you want and drizzle sauce over it.


Notes:  I did not have any apple cider but I remember another recipe that called for it that also said you could substitute apple juice (which I always have on hand).  I made the substitution and it was still delicious!