Two Fall harvest faves pair up in one delectable dessert.

Photography: Tango | Food Styling: Michelle Diamond | Prop Styling: Caroline Simon

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1  tsp baking soda
• 2  tsp cinnamon
• 1⁄2  tsp ground cloves
• 1⁄2  tsp salt
• 1⁄4 tsp pepper
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1⁄3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup grated peeled carrots
• 1 cup grated peeled red apples

Frosting

• 1 250 g pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1  cup brown sugar
• 2  tsp vanilla
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups icing sugar (approximately)

Candied Nuts

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1⁄4  cup pumpkin seeds
• 1⁄4  cup sliced almonds
• 1⁄4  cup chopped pecans
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1⁄4  tsp salt
• 1⁄4  cup maple syrup

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed 13-x-18-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Using electric mixer, beat together eggs with brown and granulated sugars for 2 minutes.

Beat in pumpkin purée and oil. Stir in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, just until moistened. Stir in carrots and apples.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake until tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.

Frosting

Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese and butter until very smooth. Beat in brown sugar, vanilla and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in enough icing sugar to make a thick and spreadable frosting.

Candied Nuts

Preheat the oven to 250°F. In skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds, almonds and pecans; toast for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and salt; cook for 1 minute. Add maple syrup; simmer, stirring often, until some of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Spread mixture on baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Using hands, coarsely crumble nut mixture.

Assemble

Slice cake in half to make two 9-x-13-inch rectangles; spread each rectangle with half of the frosting. Stack layers on top of each other. Sprinkle candied nut mixture on top.

Makes 12 servings.