Pumpking crunch cake - Happy Birthday Hugh

This is day #4, it's late, but I'm still on deadline. Yesterday we celebrated my Father-in-law's 84th Birthday. The family has a number of gluten free people - 2 niece in laws, a nephew in law, my husband and his sister - so I like to bring a dessert they can all eat. Usually the birthday cake is a regular cake and the ice cream cakes have the cookie filling. The dude likes spice type cakes, so I thought I would try this one. It is from, Gluten Free Baking, Richard Coppedge. The cake came out nice and moist with a good texture and was simple to make, not a bunch of steps and messy bowls. Cream cheese frosting and a surprise layer of chocolate and pecans make it special.
I pretty much followed the recipe, just made a few adjustments. I have decided that I rather like weighing the ingredients rather than using measurement, it's much more accurate and results are more consistnet.

Pumking Crunch Cake

2 eggs
1 1/4 cup (10 ounces) sugar
1/2 cup oil (canola)
1 cup (8.5 oz) pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (be sure it is gluten free)
1 1/3 cup (8 oz) flour blend #1 ( mix of white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cardamom (my addition)

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup (5 oz) pecans, chopped

cream cheese frosting- 1 cup 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese (softened), 2 ounces transfat free margarine (softened), 1/2 tsp vanilla; mix until combined. Add 1 cup(8 oz) powdered sugar gradually and mix with hand mixer until combined.

Happy Birthday Hugh - Love and good health.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare 2 round cake pans - oil and dusted with cocoa powder or gluten free flour. Whip eggs, sugar and oil for 3 minutes.
Add pumpkin, puree and vanill, mix to combine
In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. Spread evenly into the cake pans.

Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool for 5-10 minutes before unmolding.

While cake is baking make the chocolate base.
Melt the chocolate and mix in chopped nuts. Spread on waxed paper in a 6" circle, cover with a layer of waxed paper and flatten evenly with a plate. Refrigerate until firm. Unmold onto cake plate and set aside.

To assemble, lightly coat chocolate layer with frosting, place one cake layer on top, fill with frosting, top with remaining frosting and spread over the sides.