Method

Heat oven to 350 ° F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper or parchment paper.

Cake: Mix flour, cocoa powder, spice, baking powder and baking soda.

Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until mixture is creamy and combined.

With mixer on low speed, beat in pumpkin, milk and vanilla (mixture will look curdled, but don't be alarmed). Slowly beat in flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula to incorporate well.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Smooth tops.

Bake in preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around cakes to loosen. Invert on wire rack, remove pans, peel off paper and finish cooling. 

Frosting:  Put brown sugar, butter and milk in a medium-size saucepan and bring to just under a very gentle boil. Stir until butter melts, sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth.

Gradually beat confectioners' sugar and extract into hot mixture. A hand-held mixer is a real advantage here, but   if you don't have one, you can pour hot mixture into a bowl and beat in sugar and extract with a  stand mixer.

Immediately place 1 cake layer upside-down on serving plate. Spread with warm frosting (if frosting cools it will   set and a crust may form on the surface. Beat again until smooth.)   Place other layer right side up  and frost over sides and top. Cover with plastic wrap or store in cake keeper.  

Serves 12.

Contributor: pat ciesla

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