Preheat the oven to 350ºGrease and lightly flour two 9” x 2” cake pans, then tap out the excess.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar and oil. Add the eggs and whisk well to combine. Stir in the pumpkin.

Stir in the dry ingredients until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add nuts.

Divide the batter evenly among the two pans. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then turn out to cool completely before frosting.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese.

Add the vanilla extract.

Slowly beat in the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.