Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake

By Jeanne Kelley

A gingery glazed nut topping and brown-butter-spiked cream cheese frosting are the finishing touches for this spectacular spiced pumpkin cake. Double the topping if you want to pile the nuts on as shown in the photo.

subheading: For the purée:

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 medium-large Sugar Pie pumpkin, cut in half from stem to bottom and seeded

subheading: For the cake:

6 oz. (¾ cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans

9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans

1-½ tsp. baking soda

1-½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

¾ tsp. table salt

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1-½ cups granulated sugar

⅔ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

⅓ cup buttermilk

subheading: For the topping:

1-½ Tbs. unsalted butter

⅔ cup pecans

½ cup unsalted, raw, hulled pepitas

2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ tsp. table salt

1-½ Tbs. chopped crystallized ginger

subheading: For the frosting:

4 oz. (½ cup) unsalted butter

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 oz. (1-¼ cups) confectioners’ sugar

Directions at finecooking.com

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