3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs
3 c. sugar
2 c. pureed pumpkin (fresh cheese pumpkin preferred)
1 c. oil
1/2 c. water (or pumpkin liquid if using fresh pumpkin)
Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 c. chocolate bits

Sift together dry ingredients. Add eggs to a well made in dry mixture. Add remaining ingredients; blend until moistened and mixed well. Pour into a tube or bundt pan that has been well greased and floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cake may also be baked in 2 loaf pans for 1 hour.

DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING FRESH PUMPKIN: Wash a pumpkin, cheese pumpkin preferred and cut in half, crosswise. Remove seeds and inner web-like pulp; discard. (Seeds may be salted, placed on greased cookie sheet, roasted until crisp and eaten as a snack.) Place pumpkin halves on ungreased baking pan or cookie sheet; bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes or until fork easily pierces through the skin and pumpkin feels soft. Remove from oven; drain off liquid. (I save it to use in pumpkin bread or pumpkin cake in place of water.) Let it cool. When pumpkin is cool, scoop out the pumpkin from the skin and place through food mill or in blender. Continue with your favorite recipe.

Pumpkin may be prepared ahead of time and will keep for a week, stored in a covered container, in the refrigerator. It also can be put into a plastic container and frozen for future use.