Mini Pumpkin Cakes
Why I Love This Recipe
These were on the cover of the November 1, 2007, Family Circle Magazine. The recipe in the magazine called for store-bought frosting, but I don't like frosting out of a can, so I used a recipe for cream cheese frosting. I'm sure you could also use a basic buttercream.
Ingredients You'll Need
Cakes:
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup solid-pack pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 1/2 cups frosting
Orange and yellow food coloring
Assorted pretzel rods
Cupcake liners, trimmed slightly
Frosting:
10 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/4 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
Directions
In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until creamy; about 3 minutes. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.
Heat oven to 350. Coat two muffin size bundt pans with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil, cinnamon, cloves and 1 cup water. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes. Divide among pans.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes.
Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes then remove to cool completely.
Trim crown tops level.
Place half of frosting in a small bowl; tint with orange food coloring. Place other half of frosting in a second small bowl; tint a light pale orangy-yellow with a combination of orange and yellow food coloring.
Place one cake, flat side up on a cutting board. Spread either color frosting on the flat side. Sandwich with another cake, rounded side up.
Frost cake, starting at bottom and following teh curve up to the top.
Use a small amount of contrasting shade to give the cake some color variation.
Transfer cake to waxed paper lined baking sheet and allow frosting to dry slightly.
Tuck a pretzel piece into top to resemble a stem.
Repeat with remaining cakes.
Slip cakes into trimmed liners.
Refrigerate until ready to eat.