Ingredients
Cake
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Salted Pecans
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup pecan halves
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp)
Brown Butter Frosting
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 box (16 oz) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, clove, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
Beat butter in a large bowl with electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Alternately beat in flour mixture and yogurt mixture on low speed just until blended.
Pour evenly into the prepared pans, smoothing tops.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a pick inserted in centers comes out clean.
Remove pans to a wire cooling rack to cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let cool completely.
Salted Pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put butter on a rimmed baking sheet and melt in the oven while it is preheating.
Add pecans to pan and toss until they are coated with melted butter.
Bake 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt; toss and set aside.
Browned Butter Frosting
Put butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring.
Let cook, stirring, until it turns golden brown. (Mixture will bubble up and you will have to peek underneath the foam to see if the mixture on the bottom has turned golden). This should take about 6 to 8 minutes.
Pour into the bowl of an electric mixer and chill until firm.
Beat chilled browned butter until pale fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in sugar in 2 additions, then beat in milk and vanilla until blended. Beat a minute or 2 longer until fluffy.
To Assemble
Place 1 cake layer on a cake pedestal or serving plate. Spread about 3/4 cup frosting on top. Top with the other cake layer, then frost with remaining frosting.
Arrange salted pecans on top of cake.