PUMPKIN RIBBON CAKE

Cake:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. allspice
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
¾ cup solid pack pumpkin
½ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar

Topping:
Powdered sugar
Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed (optional)

For cake, combine flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda and salt in small bowl; mix well and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, pumpkin, milk and vanilla; beat well. Slowly add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; mix well. Set aside.

For filling, whisk cream cheese and sugar until well blended and smooth. Spread 2½-2¾ cups of the cake batter evenly over bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over cake batter; carefully spread over batter. Spoon remaining cake batter over cream cheese mixture, spreading evenly.

Bake at 350º for 45-50 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Before serving, sprinkle cake with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Serve with whipped topping, if desired.