Birthday cake

I made my own birthday cake this year. I was actually really excited. I had this cake at a friend's house for book club about a year ago. After getting the recipe from her I was discouraged because it was pretty much the most involved, detailed recipe I had ever seen. I knew I'd never make it. But then I remembered it recently and couldn't get it out of my mind. So I made it and loved it as much as I had before. I'm including the recipe so you, too, can be amazed at how involved it is. But it. is so. good! If you dare try to make it, let me know what you think!

Pumpkin Cake with Butterscotch Filling and Brown Sugar Icing
Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
1 cup buttermilk
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 – 1 oz. pieces
¾ cup chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts (optional)

For the icing:
2 cups tightly packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 8 – 1 oz. pieces
¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:
Line the bottoms of 2 round 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Grease the parchment, as well as the sides of the pans. Preheat the
oven to 325°. Center a rack in the oven.

To make the cake, combine the flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a
medium bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine pumpkin puree and
buttermilk and mix until smooth. Set aside. In the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the
butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down
the sides of the bowl. Increase to high speed and beat for an
additional 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs one at a
time, mixing well, and scraping down the bowl between additions. Add
the vanilla extract and beat on high for 30 seconds. With the mixer
running on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet
ingredients. Mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer
and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter, until smooth and
thoroughly combined.

Immediately divide the batter between the prepared cake pans,
spreading evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 10 minutes.
Invert onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the filling, heat the cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat
until hot (do not allow to boil or simmer). Combine sugar and lemon
juice in a separate saucepan and stir with a whisk to combine (the
sugar will resemble moist sand). Caramelize the sugar for 4-5 minutes
over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk to break up
any lumps. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the hot cream, one
half at a time. Add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring to
incorporate completely before adding the next piece. Cool in the
refrigerator 45 minutes. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2
minutes, until light (but not fluffy). Add the chopped nuts and stir
to incorporate. Set aside.

To make the icing, heat the brown sugar, heavy cream, 2 – 1 oz. pieces
of butter, and cream of tartar in a 2-3 quart saucepan over
medium-high heat, stirring frequently, while bringing the mixture to a
boil. Allow the mixture to continue boiling while stirring
constantly, for 2 minutes. Transfer the bubbling hot mixture to a
stainless steel bowl and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour
before proceeding. Place the cooled mixture in the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed
for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes,
adding the 6 remaining pieces of butter one at a time, until
incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed
to high and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides
of the bowl and beat on high for an additional 1 minute until light
and fluffy.

To assemble the cake, place one of the pumpkin cake layers on a cake
platter or a cardboard cake circle. Spread butterscotch filling
evenly on top of cake. Top with remaining layer of cake, pressing
down firmly. Frost sides and top of cake with brown sugar icing. Use
remaining frosting to pipe decorative accents onto top and bottom edge
of the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.