Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon five spice powder chinese
• 3 cups flour 
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 15 ounce pumpkin puree pure canned
• 16 ounce cream cheese room temperature
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar packed ()
• 1 tablespoon orange zest finely grated
• 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 0.5 teaspoon sea salt fine
• 1 cup butter unsalted room temperature (2 sticks)
• 1 halves walnut pieces toasted chopped
• 0.3 cup milk whole

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• whisk
• hand mixer
• serrated knife

Directions

1. Position rack in bottom third of oven;preheat to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch cake panswith 1 1/2-inch sides with nonstick spray. Linebottoms with parchment; spray parchment.
2. Whisk flour and next 4 ingredientsin large bowl. Using electric mixer, beatbutter in another large bowl until smooth.Beat in brown sugar.
3. Add eggs 1 at a time,beating to blend between additions. Beatin pumpkin.
4. Add dry ingredients to buttermixture in 3 additions alternately with milkin 2 additions, beating to blend betweenadditions. Divide batter between pans.
5. Bake cakes until tester inserted intocenter comes out clean, about 40 minutes.Cool in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run knifearound cakes to loosen. Invert cakes ontoracks.
6. Remove parchment. Using tart panbottom as aid, turn cakes over onto racks,top sides up, and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes inplastic and store at room temperature.
7. Using electric mixer, beatbutter in large bowl until smooth.
8. Addcream cheese and orange peel; beat untilsmooth.
9. Add powdered sugar and beat onlow speed until smooth.
10. Trim rounded tops from cakes.Using long serrated knife, cut each cakehorizontally in half.
11. Place 1 cake layer,cut side up, on large platter. Spoon 2/3 cupfrosting atop cake in dollops; spread toedges. Repeat 2 more times with cake andfrosting; top with remaining cake layer, cutside down.
12. Spread remaining frosting overtop and sides of cake (layer will be thin).DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Coverwith cake dome; chill.
13. Let stand at roomtemperature 1 hour before serving.
14. Decorate cake with walnuts and serve.
15. * A spice blend that usually contains groundfennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns,cinnamon, star anise, and cloves; availablein the spice section of most supermarkets.
16. Bon Appétit