Creme Caramel with fresh whipped cream

With the season I wanted to try something new with pumpkin so I printed this recipe from Good Housekeeping. The ingredients are pricey and it takes at least overnight to be able to eat it. Hunter said it's missing something and I have to agree. It's not very sweet so I added some whipped cream(freshly made just for this) and I just ended up eating the whipped cream. Flan would have been much cheaper and loved by all.

New York Pumpkin Creme Caramel
6 strip(s) (about 3" by 1" each) orange peel
1 1/4 cup(s)sugar
1 can(s)(12-ounce) evaporated milk
1 cup(s) heavy or whipping cream
1 cup(s) (solid-pack) pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie mix)
6 large eggs
1/4 cup(s) orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 pinch(s) nutmeg
1 pinch(s) salt
DIRECTIONS
In 1-quart saucepan, heat orange peel, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water to boiling over high heat. Cover and cook 10 minutes. With fork, remove orange-peel strips and discard. Continue cooking sugar mixture, uncovered, until it turns amber in color, about 3 minutes longer. Pour caramel into 9" by 5" loaf pan, swirling to coat bottom. (Hold pan with pot holders to protect hands from heat of caramel.) Set aside.
In heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat evaporated milk, heavy cream, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar just to boiling over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix pumpkin, eggs, orange liqueur, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until blended.
Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into pumpkin mixture until blended. Pour pumpkin mixture through strainer into 8-cup glass measuring cup, then into caramel-coated loaf pan. Place loaf pan in roasting pan; place on oven rack. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come three-quarters of the way up side of loaf pan. Bake 55 minutes or until knife comes out clean when inserted 1 inch from edge of custard (center will jiggle slightly).
Carefully remove loaf pan from water. Allow crème caramel to cool 1 hour in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate crème caramel overnight. To unmold, run small spatula around sides of loaf pan; invert crème caramel onto serving plate, allowing caramel syrup to drip down from pan (some caramel may remain in pan).