Four-layer Pumpkin Cake With Orange-cream Cheese Frosting

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• nonstick vegetable cooking spray
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon chinese five spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups packed golden brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• chopped walnuts or walnut halves, toasted

Recipe

• 1 for cake:
• 2 position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°f
• 3 spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray. line bottoms with parchment; spray parchment.
• 4 whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in large bowl.
• 5 using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until smooth.
• 6 beat in brown sugar.
• 7 add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions.
• 8 beat in pumpkin.
• 9 add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating to blend between additions.
• 10 divide batter between pans.
• 11 bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
• 12 cool in pans on rack 15 minutes.
• 13 run knife around cakes to loosen. invert cakes onto racks. remove parchment and cool completely.
• 14 do ahead: can be made 1 day ahead. wrap cakes in plastic and store at room temperature.
• 15 for frosting:
• 16 using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth.
• 17 add cream cheese and orange peel; beat until smooth.
• 18 add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until smooth.
• 19 trim rounded tops from cakes.
• 20 using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half.
• 21 place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on large platter.
• 22 spoon 2/3 cup frosting atop cake in dollops; spread to edges.
• 23 repeat 2 more times with cake and frosting; top with remaining cake layer, cut side down.
• 24 spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake (layer will be thin).
• 25 do ahead: can be made 2 days ahead. cover with cake dome; chill. let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
• 26 decorate cake with walnuts and serve.