Stun Your Family Christmas Cake

2-1/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
one 15-oz. can pumpkin puree
cream-cheese frosting (see recipe below)
1/4 cup caramel sundae topping
1 cup pecan halves, toasted

Heat oven to 350 degrees, with the racks in middle of oven. Use solid vegetable shortening to grease three 8 x 1-1/2-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess, and set aside.

In a small mixer bowl, stir together the cake flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Using a large bowl and an electric mixer, beat the vanilla-wafer crumbs, chopped pecans and one-and-a-half sticks of butter, softened. Use medium speed, scraping bowl often, until the mixture is crumbly. Divide evenly among prepared cake pans and press evenly on bottoms of the pans.

In the same large mixer bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and canned pumpkin on medium speed for one minute, scraping the bowl constantly. Gradually beat in the flour mixture and beat on medium speed for two minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Pour over the pressed-in pecan mixture in pans and spread the batter evenly.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the center of a 350-degree oven, using two racks if necessary to spread the pans out and allow for even heat distribution. A cake tester stuck in the center of each layer should come out clean. Cool for 10 minute, then remove from the pans to a wire rack to completely cool the cake layers.

Top each cake layer with 1/3 cup of the frosting, placing layers on a serving plate with pecan sides down. Frost the side of the cake, if desired. Drizzle caramel sundae topping around the edge of the cake and let it dribble over the edge. Arrange pecan halves around the edge of the cake. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Cream-Cheese Frosting:
2/3 cup butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat softened butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on low speed. When smooth, beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat at low speed until smooth and spreadable.