Halloween Harvest Pumpkin Cake

For Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour the insides of two 8 inch round cake pans. Whisk together 5 eggs and the sugar in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Continue whisking until warm. Remove the bowl from over the water and beat about 5 minutes until tripled in volume. Sift the cake flour over the top and fold in. Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin, milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook until warm, stirring frequently. Separate the 3 remaining eggs and stir the yolks into the pumkin mixture 1 at a time. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Remove the p[an from the heat. Place the 3 egg whites in a medioum bowl and beat to stiff peaks. Fold the beaten whites into the pumpkin mixture in 3 additions. Fold the pumkin mixture into the beaten egg mixture. Fold in the melted butter 1 tbsp. at a time. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake about 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool 5 minutes in the pans. Turn the cakes out onto a rack and cool completely.

For Frosting:

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, pumpkin, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the frosting to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate frosting 30 minutes.

Slice each cake in half horizontally. Spread a thin layer of frosting between each 1/2. Spread more frosting on the top of 1 filled cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top of the first. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.