• preheat oven to 180C and grease and line 2 x 6"/15cm cake tins

Pumpkin puree

• Cut pumpkin into pieces and remove skin (see notes on post) and steam for about 5 minutes till tender then blitz in food processor
• you want 200g of pumpkin puree so if you have lots leftover store in fridge for a week or freeze for up to 3 months

Pumpkin cake base

• Beat the sugar and butter in mixer till light and fluffy
• Add the eggs one at a time then the dry ingredients
• finally add the pumpkin puree and make sure all ingredients thoroughly combined
• spoon into lined cakes tins and bake for approx 25-30 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean
• Cool a little before removing from tins on to a wire rack to cool completely

buttercream filling

• Beat together butter, cream cheese, vanilla and mixed spice powder then add the icing sugar a bit at a time till you get a thick creamy paste
• Spread the buttercream on the cake base and add the other cake on top, keep this on the wire rack and place over a baking tray

Chocolate glaze

• Melt the chocolate, butter, vanilla and golden syrup in a Bain Marie (or in a bowl over a bowl of simmering water)
• Stir till everything is combined then cool a llittle before pouring over the cake and letting it run down the sides. Use an offset palate knife to smooth the sides to make sure glaze has to holes but be careful not to pull on the cake itself

salted caramel popcorn topping

• Pop the corn in a pan and tip on to baking parchment discarding and small hard pieces
• Melt butter with the brown sugar and let it cook for 5 minutes without stirring, add salt and vanilla and stir then add the baking soda. it will bubble up, str then pour over the popcorn and stir about to get as much covered with the salted caramel as possible
• pile the popcorn on top of the glazed cake and carefully lift the cake on to a cake board to serve