Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg. Whisk until combined.

Next, add the canned pumpkin, white sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined. The cake batter will be thick.

In a medium mixing bowl, add pecan halves, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until combined.

In a greased 2-quart baking dish or a deep dish 9-inch pie plate, spread the cake batter in an even layer.

Next, sprinkle the pecan topping over the cake batter.

Carefully, pour the boiling water over the cake. Do not stir. I know it seems odd, but it works, trust me.

Place the cake into a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the center is set. Place a baking sheet on the rack below in case it overflows. This usually doesn’t happen if the pie plate is a deep-dish one, but it is better than cleaning the oven.

Remove from the oven, and let it rest for 15 minutes. This will allow the sauce to thicken a bit.

Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Store it covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.