Pie is the traditional way to feature pumpkin on the Thanksgiving menu, but during the Gilded Age, pumpkin and other squashes also found their way into other desserts, including puddings, tarts, fritters, and cakes. Some of these were heartier, substituting cornmeal for flour, such as pumpkin loaf (similar to Boston brown bread) and pumpkin Indian pudding.
But this recipe uses cake flour for a lighter, fancier cake that makes a pretty addition to the Thanksgiving table.
