Serves 6-8

Tinned pumpkin purée, available in good supermarkets, is convenient for use in American-style pies and puddings. If you would like to make the purée from scratch, cut a 500g piece of pumpkin into wedges and bake at 180C/Gas 4 for 1-1¼ hours. Scoop out the flesh and blend to a smooth purée. Transfer to a pan and stir over a high heat to cook off the juices. Leave to cool.

For the cake
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
75g dried currants
75g walnuts, chopped
125g unsalted butter, softened, plus little extra to grease
280g molasses cane sugar (or light brown sugar)
2 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
300g tinned pumpkin purée
50ml whole milk

For the cream-cheese frosting
125g unsalted butter, softened
200g cream cheese
45g icing sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 orange

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line the bases of two 20cm round cake tins with baking parchment. Lightly grease the sides of the tins with butter.
2 Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground spices together into a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the currants and walnuts with a tablespoon of the flour mixture.
3 Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Whisk in the sugar. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little at a time. If the mixture threatens to curdle, mix in a tablespoon of the flour. Fold in the flour mixture alternately with the pumpkin purée in two batches. Finally, fold in the milk, followed by the currants and walnuts.
4 Divide and spread the batter equally between the prepared cake tins. Do not worry if the batter only comes up to half the height of the tin. Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for about 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. You can also tell that the cake is ready when the sides begin to separate from the edges of the pan.
5 Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes, then invert on to a wire rack and peel off the baking parchments. Leave to cool completely.
6 For the frosting, beat the butter, cream cheese and icing sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the orange zest and vanilla and mix well. Place one cake on a serving plate, bottom side up. Spread half the frosting over with a spatula or a palette knife. Sandwich with the other cake, bottom side down, then smooth the remaining icing on top. Cut into slices to serve, and chill leftovers in a covered container.

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