1 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts (pecans)
1 1/2 cups finely ground vanilla wafers
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
Mix all ingredients with fork until well blended. Divide between four cake pans. Press firmly on bottoms only.
Cake:
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
Cream together for ten minutes. Add 8 oz. canned pumpkin, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, and 3 eggs. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tbs. pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice). Add dry ingredients to mixture, divide between four pans, even out tops. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through baking time.
Whip together until stiff:
1 qt. heavy cream
3 tbs. 10x sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
Assembly:
Place first layer on cake plate, crunch-side down. Spread 1/4 of whipped cream on that layer. Spread evenly. Then next layer, and so on (crunch-side down, then whipped cream). Pipe or mound whipped cream on top and pile in center. You can put chopped nuts on whipped cream.
