Pumpkin Flan Cake With Maple Brown Butter Glaze

To make the cake layer:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

Beat sugar, oil, and eggs on medium high in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Add half of the half & half. Blend. Continue adding another 1/3 of the flour mixture, beat until just incorporated. Add the remaining half & half. Beat in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture. Add the pumpkin puree, beating until well blended.

Generously coat a 10-inch bundt pan softened butter. Coat with flour. Shake off excess. Pour cake batter into pan. Set aside.

To make the flan:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, beating until well blended. Add sweetened condensed milk, half and half, and vanilla, beating for 1 minute. Pour over the cake layer. Cover tightly with a greased aluminum foil.

Place bundt cake pan in a larger pan. Place into oven. Pour enough water into the larger pan to fill the bundt cake pan half way up. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few dry crumbs attached.

Cool on a rack for 1 hour. Invert bundt pan onto a cake platter. Unmold by giving it one vertical shake to loosen the cake. Remove bundt pan. Chill cake.

To make the glaze:

Melt butter on a saucepan on medium heat. Allow butter to become bubbly then foamy and develop a nutty smell, in about 3-4 minutes. Stir gently and watch butter carefully once it begins to foam as it could burn quickly. Check for milk solids that deposit at the bottom of the pan. Once the milk solids turn golden brown, remove from heat. The butter will darken as it sits.

Pour brown butter into a small mixing bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, beat in powdered sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Chill for about 15 minutes before glazing cake.

To make the salted pecans:

Melt butter in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add pecans. Cook, stirring frequently until pecans become fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt. Transfer to a plate. Allow to cool.

To finish cake, use a spoon to drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Sprinkle with salted pecans. Keep refrigerated.