Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray.

In medium bowl, combine ingredients for crumb topping. Using pastry knife, cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients for the cake.

In stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream 1butter with sugar. Turn mixer to stir. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each just until blended. Add pumpkin puree and applesauce and mix just until incorporated.

Add flour mixture for cake in three parts mixing just until incorporated.

For the cream cheese filling, in medium bowl with hand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix just until incorporated.

Spread half of the pumpkin cake mixture in the pan. Carefully spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake mixture. Now add the rest of the cake mixture spreading carefully with a spatula. Some may bleed through. Do not overwork or it the cream cheese mixture will be absorbed by the pumpkin mixture.

Sprinkle with the crumb topping and bake for 50 minutes or until set. Allow to cool 20 minutes before cutting.