1-First, in a medium bowl, whisk together 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined. In a large bowl, whisk the 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup canned pumpkin, and 2 large eggs at room temperature until everything is smoothly mixed. Now, gently add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until blended overmixing is a common slip-up I make, but it leads to a tough cake, so be careful.

2-Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans and pop them into the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. For the buttercream, whisk 3 large egg whites and 1 cup granulated sugar over hot water until it’s no longer grainy, then whip on medium-high speed until stiff and cooled. Switch to a paddle attachment, add 1 1/2 cups cubed unsalted butter gradually until smooth, and mix in the dissolved espresso until fully incorporated.

3-To assemble, cut each cake layer in half horizontally and layer them with the buttercream in between. Apply a crumb coat, chill it, and then frost the outside as you like. Tips for best results include using that instant espresso for the buttercream, making sure your mixer bowl is grease-free for the meringue, and if it looks curdled, just keep mixing. If it’s soupy, chill and rewhip it I’ve saved more than one frosting this way!