You can bake this cake in 3 8-inch cake pans instead of the 2 9-inch. Just bake slightly less, about 20-22 minutes. If you do, you may also want to increase the icing recipe by 1/4 to compensate for the extra layer icing.
1medium-large Sugar Pie pumpkin, cut in half from stem to bottom and seeded (or substitute 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
For the cake:
3/4cupunsalted butter; more for the pans
2cupsunbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2tsp.baking soda
1 1/2tsp.cinnamon
1tsp.ginger
3/4tsp.table salt
1/4tsp.ground cloves
1 1/2cupsgranulated sugar
2/3cuplight brown sugar, packed
1 1/2cupspumpkin puree, not pie filling
2largeeggs
1/3cupbuttermilk
For the topping:
3Tbsp.unsalted butter
1 1/3cuppecans
1cupunsalted raw, hulled pepitas, (can use salted, just omit or reduce salt below)
4Tbsp.firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2tsp.table salt, reduce if you used salted butter
3Tbsp.chopped crystallized ginger or 3/4 tsp. powdered ginger
For the frosting (increase by 1/4 for 3 layer/8-inch cake):
1/2cupunsalted butter
8oz.cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4cuplight brown sugar, packed
1-1/4cupsconfectioners/icing sugar
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F. with rack in the centre of the oven.
Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans (or 3 8-inch pans) and line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown colour, about 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not set, about 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. In a large bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups of the pumpkin purée with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until well blended. With a spatula, stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Gently whisk in the brown butter until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake the cakes until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 28 minutes (or about 20 minutes for 8-inch pans). Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto racks, remove the pan bottoms or parchment, and cool completely.
Make the topping: Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and pepitas and cook until the pecans brown slightly and the pepitas begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and the nuts are glazed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool in the skillet.
Make the frosting: Melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until the solids settle at the bottom of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the bowl to the freezer and chill until just firm, about 20 minutes. Using a spoon, carefully scrape the clear butter from bowl, leaving the browned solids at the bottom. Discard the solids.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light in colour and the brown sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the icing sugar and continue beating until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Assemble the cake: Put one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting on the layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nut mixture over the frosting (I omitted nuts between layers) and top with the second layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Arrange the remaining topping in a ring 1 1/2 inches in from the edge of the cake and serve
The assembled, frosted cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature.