Pumpkin Spice Layered Cake

Directions

1. For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 8-inch cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper rounds. Dust with flour.

2. Whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar together on medium speed, scraping down the sides, as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla, and beat until combined, about 1 minute.

4. With the mixer running on low, beat in flour mixture until combined, about 1 minute. Add buttermilk and beat until just combined, about 1 minute.5. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.

5. For frosting and assembly: Meanwhile, in the bowl a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter on low speed, scraping down the sides, as needed, until combined. Add sugar, and beat until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and cream until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese, vanilla and salt, and beat until combined, about 2 minutes. Combine roughly 3 cups of frosting and dusty blue food coloring together in large bowl, adjusting shade as desired. Set aside remaining uncolored frosting for later use.

6. Once cakes have cooled, create a flat cake surface by removing a 1/4-inch from the crown of the cake with cake level. Crumble cake crown into a small bowl and set aside for garnishing cake.

7. Transfer one cake to a 10-inch cake drum. Place on cake turntable. Using an offset or straight spatula, spread roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of dusty frosting evenly over the top, right to the edge of the cake. Place another cake layer on top, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cake layer and dusty blue frosting.

8. Using an offset or straight spatula, spread icing on the top and sides of cake. Smooth sides of cake by holding the spatula upright against the cake, and rotating the turntable. Hold the decorating comb upright against the side of the cake while turning the turntable to create a textured side. Press reserved cake crumbs a quarter of the way up the side of the cake. Sprinkle remaining cake crumbs in a crescent moon shape on top of the cake.

9. Divide uncolored frosting into 3 bowls. Leave one bowl of frosting white and create orange and brown frosting by adding a few drops of food coloring to each bowl. Stir to combine, adjusting shade as desired.

10. Transfer each color to a piping bag fitted with a coupler attachment. Using tips T25 and K05, pipe small and large pumpkins in a crescent moon design on top of the cake crumbs, using the white, orange and dusty blue frosting. Using tip K11, pipe a small stem at the top of each pumpkin.

11. Slice and serve.