Fall is in the air and leaves are on the ground. It’s heartwarming to see homes adorned with friendly-faced scarecrows, and raffia-wrapped corn stalks.
Thanksgiving plans are in motion. The delicious balance of spices in this moist and easy cake recipe might just be tradition-worthy.
Preparation time: 1 hour Yields: 8
Ingredients:
Cake -
1 ¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ cups canned pumpkin purée
Frosting -
⅓ cup cream cheese, room temperature
7 tablespoons butter, softened
1 ½ cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Buttercream Icing -
2 cups icing sugar
1 cup butter, softened
¼ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 ounces orange food coloring
1 drop black food coloring, optional
1 drop brown food coloring for stems
Cake directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer. Add eggs, one at a time until smooth. Incorporate pumpkin purée.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Then manually combine both wet and dry mixtures together.
3. Pour batter evenly into silicone molds and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Cool. Individually wrap, and freeze.
Filling directions:
1. Cream the cheese and butter, then blend in vanilla and icing sugar until smooth.
Buttercream directions:
1. With a mixer, cream butter. Lower speed and gradually add icing sugar. Increase speed to medium-high and incorporate milk and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Reserve two tablespoons of icing for stems.
2. Add food coloring to the icing until desired color is achieved.
Cake assembly directions:
1. Unwrap cake domes. Level each, using remnants to form stems. Spread an even layer of cream cheese frosting on the inside of eight domes. Join them together with unfrosted halves to create eight spheres. Fill gaps.
2. Apply a generous amount of orange icing to the outside of each sphere and use the icing spatula to create a pumpkin-shaped effect.
3. Color reserved icing and apply to stems. Attach stems to top of cakes. Refrigerate until served.
