Tort(e): Pumpkin Toffee Cake

My husband went to college with a childhood friend of mine who also went on to marry his best friend. What makes this all so crazy is that we did not meet through my friend. This has made for a nice circle of friends with his college pals. His college friends all have intense school spirit. They all went to the University of Illinois for undergrad and I never understood how they were so connected to the school and each other. In fact, I used to tease them all by referring to them as the "cult." Okay, I still do. But I get it now that I also went to law school there. Going to a Big Ten school is every different from going to a school in the Horizon League (which I bet none of you have ever heard of).

My newfound school spirit led me to invite my hubby's circle of friends up for a football game against the Illini a few weeks ago. We lost, but all the cuteness of all our kids decked out in Illini gear (the girls in cheer dresses and the boys in jerseys) made up for it. As did the company.

In honor of the game, we prepared a "tailgate" feast at our house before the game. Included in the feast was the closest I could come to an Illini orange dessert. In retrospect, I suppose I could have just made a dessert with oranges... but I didnt think of that then. My mind is firmly placed in all things fall. Hence this pumpkin toffee cake, also known as a pumpkin dump cake.

Dump cakes are commnon in the church circuit, which would explain why I was never familiar to these desserts. They are simple and quick to make and taste delicious and homey. The warm flavors of the pumpkin dump cake are truly comfort food worthy, and great for a cold fall day. Literally all the ingredients are typically dumped into the pan and then baked. Little to no mixing involved. This recipe is a little more advanced, requiring a little mixing, but even then it is ultimately simple.