Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or gas mark 4. Prepare two 20cm round cake tins by lightly greasing them with vegetable oil and lining the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, and the chosen ground spices.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the caster sugar, light brown soft sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, pumpkin purée, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Gradually pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and gently fold them together until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake tins and level the tops with a spatula.

Place the cake tins in your preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Check for doneness and let the cakes cool in the tins for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Melt your white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, heating in 15-second intervals. Drizzle it onto parchment paper to create ghost figures and refrigerate until firm.

In a medium bowl, beat together the soft cheese and unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually mix in the icing sugar and vanilla extract, then color with gel food coloring if desired.

Once the cakes have cooled, place one layer on a serving plate, spread frosting on top, and place the second layer on top. Frost the whole cake.

Arrange the white chocolate ghosts on top of the frosted cake and add Halloween-themed sprinkles if desired.