PUMPKIN SPICE CAKES

Those of you who follow this blog know that I make the dessert each month for the Alzheimer's Idaho (local grassroots organization) support group dinner. Tonight they are having pumpkin spice cakes with cream cheese filling and very orange frosting.

I had decided to make one big pumpkin cake for the dessert tonight and then I had a text from my dear friend Nancy Gemar telling me she had just purchased this little 6 cup bundt pan. I so loved the idea of making little cakes and also loved the handles because that is one thing that makes a regular size bundt pan a problem - getting it in and out of the oven.  So I ordered - thank you Nancy.  LOVE this little pan - I think I will be making some of my grandmother's fruit cake (one that we actually eat) in this little pan. So....with the addition of this pan I decided to make a pumpkin "patch" instead of one big cake.

Some simple cake ingredients - by using a mix this is an easier cake to make. Note the eggs in warm water - I forgot to take them out in time to let them get to room temp (always do this when using eggs in baking).

The recipe calls for sifting the cake mix so I just sat the sifter inside my mixing bowl - no mess that way. If you don't own a sifter you can use a strainer.

I always use either Pam for baking or Baker's Joy on my bundt pans - no worry about the cake coming out with these products.

One batch of this mix will make either one large cake or one small bundt cake and 6 little ones.  In order to make the pumpkins you will need to do the recipe twice. I put the cooked cakes on Reynolds Wrap non-stick.  They still stuck a little but came off easily.

Once cooled put the cream cheese filling on the bottom of one of the cakes and then top with another cake to get the pumpkin look.

Pour the frosting over the cakes.....

I used a pipe cleaner for the stem - on the larger cake I wound it around a big Sharpie and for the smaller ones wound it around a pencil.

After pouring the frosting on the cakes I topped them with orange sugar crystals and then added the stems, placed on a fall tray and poured some candy corn around the pumpkins.

I am going to deliver the cakes with some caramel butter pecan ice cream - sounds like dessert to me!

Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350°

For one regular bundt cake or one small & six tiny

1 Duncan Hines yellow cake mix (not butter)
1 3/4 cups pumpkin (not pie mix)*
2 large eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup superfine sugar (preferred)

Directions:

Spray your pans with either Pam for Baking or Baking Joy, set aside.  Sift the cake mix, mix the spices together with the soda and the sugar and add to the cake mix.  Once all sifted add the eggs and mix, then add the pumpkin until it is all mixed and smooth.

If you are making pumpkins you will need to do this twice.

Bake one bundt pan for 55-60 mins
For the six bundt pan, 18-20 minutes 
For the baby bundt (six cup), 26-30 mins.

When cooled turn out onto the foil.

* a 29oz can of pumpkin is the exact amount needed for two batches.

Cream cheese filling that goes between the cakes:

8ozs cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup superfine sugar (preferred)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Mix together all ingredients and mix until light and fluffy.  Use to "glue" your pumpkins together.

Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons milk or cream
food coloring - either orange or mix together yellow and red

Sift the powdered sugar into a large glass bowl, add the milk or cream and the food coloring, stir to completely mix. Put into the microwave for 20-30 seconds, stir again and pour over your pumpkins.  Top with orange sugar crystals and add the pipe cleaner stems.

Resource

Baby bundt pan (six cup),Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Original 6-Cup Bundt Pan
Mini bundt pan,Wilton Excelle Elite 6-Cup Mini Fluted Pan
Orange sprinkles,Wilton Orange Sugar Sparkles

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