Mini Jack-O-Lantern Cakes

Boo!  I can't believe Halloween is just around the corner!  To celebrate this fun holiday, I've made these Mini Jack-O-Lantern Cakes. They are a little bit spooky and a whole lot cute! And, they couldn't be any easier to make!

Let me start off my saying, I am in no way a professional baker or pastry chef, as you can see by my decorating abilities.  But, this is just proof that ANYONE can pull off these adorable little pumpkin shaped cakes and impress friends, family and neighbors this Halloween.

How to make a pumpkin shaped cake

Each Jack-o-lantern cake is made by putting two small bundt cakes together (bottom to bottom) with a sweet buttercream icing. If you can find the mini bundt cake pans, you can even turn these into cute little Jack-o-Lantern cupcakes! For the pan size I used here, each Mini Jack-O-Lantern Cake serves about 3-4 people.

Once the cakes are baked, cooled, and frosted decorate the cakes however you like or leave them plain.  I went with candy corn noses and used some canned chocolate frosting for the eyes and mouths.

The pumpkin stem?  A tootsie roll!

I used my favorite Pumpkin-Ginger cake recipe for the base of these Halloween bundt cakes. My favorite Pumpkin-Ginger cake recipe is just as easy as mixing up a boxed mix!

Dare I say...maybe even easier?

I've also replaced the chocolate cake with this easy Pumpkin Ginger cake recipe for my, cute as can be, Pumpkin Patch Cake on occasion.

How to make Pumpkin Ginger Halloween Cake

• Whisk together the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately (no electric mixer required) and then fold the wet into the dry and voila...cake batter! 
• Be careful not to over mix the batter, as this will result in a less tender crumb.

But if you still aren't convinced making this cake is easier than a boxed mix, you can certainly use a boxed mix for the cakes instead.

These delicious little mini Pumpkin-Ginger cakes are wonderful even if they aren't transformed into pumpkins...but it's Halloween, so why not add a little fun touch to them by turning them into Jack-O-Lanterns?

I used 10x Powdered Sugar made with pure cane sugar for the buttercream icing. I don't normally sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the mixer when I start with a 10x brand.  I'm sort of famous for my buttercream icing in my family and the recipe below is my favorite recipe!

Make sure you find the sweet spot when making the icing...not too stiff, but not too fluffy either. It will need to cement the two cakes together to make the pumpkins.

I know you can pull off this super simple recipe for these Mini Jack-o-Lantern cakes this Halloween! Just give it a try!

Mini Jack-O-Lantern Cakes

By Renee Paj

Cute mini Pumpkin-Ginger bundt cakes cleverly crafted into Jack-O-Lanterns held together with orange buttercream icing.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup pure cane granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 - 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 TBS water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups 10X powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 - 2 TBS milk (if needed)
• canned chocolate frosting (for decorating)
• candy corn (for decorating)
• tootsie rolls (for stems)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Grease and flour mini bundt pan. 
2. To Make Cakes: In large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sour cream, eggs, fresh ginger, vanilla, water and canola oil.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry flour mixture and pour in the wet pumpkin mixture. Fold into flour until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
5. Divide batter equally between the six prepared wells in the mini bundt pan. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of a cake comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack and cool completely.
7. Make Buttercream icing: With electric mixer, beat the butter and salt until light and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in 1 tsp. vanilla. Add in milk if needed, until icing is stiff, but spreadable.
8. To Assemble the Jack-O-Lanterns: Cut the crowns off the tops of the mini bundt cakes so they are flat. Apply a thick layer of buttercream icing to the cut side of the bundt cake. Invert another bundt cake, cut side down, on top of the iced bundt cake to form a "pumpkin". Frost sides and top. Continue with remaining bundts until you have 3 pumpkins. Decorate as desired.

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.
Tags: pumpkin, Halloween, baking, cake, dessert


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