When it comes to visual presentation few things impress as much as a beautiful fruit tart. This is a great alternative to a traditional pumpkin pie. It's beautiful and easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not sweetened or spiced)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• oil for the pan
• flour for the pan
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tsp orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup Maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Place the sugar and butter in a large bowl and cream together until light and fluffy*.
2. Add the pumpkin and mix well.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla, continue to beat until well blended.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all spice, and walnuts.
5. Alternating the milk and flour-spice mixture add to the pumpkin and mix well between additions.
6. Oil and flour a tort pan or a cake sheet pan.
7. Pour the batter into the pan.
8. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.
10. Remove the cake from the pan, placing it on a flat surface such as a serving dish or cake tray. Allow the cake to completely cool.
11. In a bowl mix the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest.
12. Arrange the orange slices in a ring around outer edge of the cake, building toward the center. (If using a tort pan this will be inside the indentation.) Place the Maraschino cherries in the center of the cake.
13. Drizzle the orange-sugar glaze over the cake and fruit.
14. Cover and store the cake in the refrigerator.

*--Creaming is the first step in many baking recipes. It is the act of mixing together butter and sugar, either by hand or with a mixer. I use a mixer at low speed and building to medium speed to obtain the maximum air bubbles. Creaming creates a lighter textured cake. While this is a dense cake, the creaming process keeps it from being leaden.

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This Tart Pan is 12" square, with a good indentation for fruit.