Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
Brown the Butter: In a pan over medium heat, cook the two sticks of butter for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir occasionally until you see brown flecks and a nice golden color. Remove directly from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Mix the Pumpkin Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground clove, espresso powder, and salt until completely smooth. Pour the mixture evenly into your greased baking dish.
Create the Dry Topping: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle this dry mixture evenly over the pumpkin filling in the baking dish. Do not stir.
Add the Crunch: Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the dry topping.
Drizzle the Butter: Drizzle the browned butter evenly over the top of the entire dish. Again, do not stir.
Bake: Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes. The center should have a little jiggle—that's the perfect custardy texture! Let the cake cool completely for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
Whip the Cream: In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Make the Frosting Base: In another bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
Fold and Frost: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, working carefully so you don't lose the air. Spread the light, fluffy frosting over the cooled cake.
The Final Flare: Finish it off with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a few pinches of flaky sea salt before slicing.
