Pumpkin & caramel cake

• vegetable oil↗80ml ml

  plus extra for greasing

• pack vanilla or white cake mix↗450g g

  (or make your own cake mix, see tip below)

• pumpkin purée↗½ x 425g can
• full-fat milk↗125ml ml
• large eggs↗4
• pumpkin pie spice1 tsp tsp

  (available from uk.iherb.com, or mix it yourself by combining 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp nu…

• dulce de leche4 tbsp tbsp

  from a jar

• full-fat cream cheese↗225g g
• icing sugar↗125g g

  sifted

• pumpkin pie spice1 tsp tsp
• pumpkin purée↗½ x 425g can
• double cream↗440ml ml
• pecans↗70g g

  toasted and roughly chopped

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of two 23cm cake tins. In a big bowl, beat the oil, cake mix, pumpkin purée, milk, eggs and spice mixture until smooth. Pour the mixture into the cake tins and bake for 22-25 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins while you make the filling.

2. 2

   Beat the cream cheese briefly in a medium bowl until fluffy, then add the icing sugar, spice and pumpkin purée and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat or it will go runny. In another bowl, whip the cream and fold it gently into the cream cheese mixture.

3. 3

   When the cakes are cool, cut each one in half horizontally so you have four thin sponges. Put the bottom layer on a plate, spread with 1 tbsp dulce de leche, then smooth over a quarter of the filling. Add the next layer and repeat until you have an amazing tower of pumpkin, cake, caramel and cream, then sprinkle the pecans on top. Boom.