Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8-inch cake pan with canola oil cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
Make the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cloves into a large bowl and stir together.
In a medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin purée, sugar, canola oil, and eggs until the sugar is dissolved and no oily film remains around the edges.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until the ingredients are fully incorporated and no dry flour remains. Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pan and, using a small offset palette knife, smooth out the top.
In a small bowl, stir together the chopped pecans and caramel. Drop teaspoonfuls of caramel pecan mixture evenly over the batter to cover as much surface area as possible. Do not mix it in. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.