Pumpkin Spice Cake with Butterscotch Buttercream

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then spray the parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk until just incorporated and smooth.

3. Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a cake tester (i.e. toothpick) inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and cool completely.

For the butterscotch sauce:

1. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt, and increase the heat to medium to bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Allow it to cool at room temperature. It will seem too thin at first, but don’t worry, it’ll thicken as it cools.

For the buttercream:

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or a medium heatproof bowl if you’re using a hand mixer), combine the egg whites and sugar, and place the bowl over a small pot of gently simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Rub a little between your fingers, and if there is no hint of a grainy texture, it’s done (or when it reaches 160 degrees in temperature).

2. Place the bowl in your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and set at high speed, beat the egg mixture until stiff peaks form. Continue beating until the eggs are fluffy and the mixture has cooled, about 5-6 minutes. Make sure the stiff peaks don’t become dry, you want them to stay glossy.

3. Switch to the paddle attachment and with the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next addition. If the buttercream begins in separate, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat for a few minutes, until it is smooth again. Add the vanilla, salt, lemon juice, and butterscotch sauce (make sure it’s cool, you don’t want to melt your buttercream), and beat until incorporated. Again, if the mixture separates or thins out too much, beat on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy again. Taste the buttercream and add more salt, lemon juice, or butterscotch if you think it’s needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat for 2 minutes to eliminate any air bubbles.

To assemble:

1. Trim the tops of the cake layers so they are totally flat. Stack the first layer onto a cake plate and using a spatula, spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream in an even layer over the top. Place the second cake layer on top, making sure the two layers line up. Spread a very thin layer of the buttercream around the cake for a crumb layer. This will glue the crumbs to the cake, so they don’t show through the light colored buttercream. Then apply a regular, thick layer of the buttercream, until the cake is evenly covered. Sprinkle the top with the toasted pecans and enjoy!