Surprised: I’m gonna be honest – I wasn’t really expecting much when I saw this in the display case at the bookstore the other day.  I mean, really – how good can something sold inside a bookstore actually be?!
Impressed: That said, this is probably one of the richest cakes I’ve ever tasted, and I’m not entirely sure if it was simply the cake itself or also a combination of the caramel/maple/gooey topping, but as far as I’m concerned, that just made it even better!  The caramel is strong, mind you, so sometimes you have to hunt for that pumpkin flavor, but it is in there.  Definitely would’ve been great to have a tall glass of milk when I dove into this, though!
One Small Complaint: The little candy stars on top, while adding a much-needed bit of color to complete the fall motif, really threw off the texture when I bit into ‘em.  Substitute in a handful of some higher quality, chocolate sprinkles of the same colors and I think you would’ve been golden.
Recommend?: Absolutely – I’d pull up a chair and a new book to enjoy another bite without hesitation, but you don’t have to take my word for it!

See what I did there?