Coolest Pumpkin Cake 34

by KeiLee
(Meno, Oklahoma)

Lil' Pumpkin Cake

I hosted a Lil Pumpkin baby shower for a friend due in October. I made this pumpkin cake from two bundt cake pans. One inverted on top of the other. An ice cream cone made a great stem once it was colored green and brown.

My bundt pan made a middle hole a little larger than the ice cream cone, so I inserted toothpicks into the middle to make a "platform" for the cone to sit on. I used Wilton's orange gel food coloring with cream cheese frosting. To further the idea I used a recipe for chocolate pumpkin cake! Artificial leaves were draped around the pumpkin. I can't believe how real it turned out! It was a big hit!!

The recipe came from a Country Living magazine.

**I made one batch for each bundt pan***

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, plus one yolk

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. **Grease and flour bundt pans well. Sift the flour, coca, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Stir the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in thirds. Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake until a tester, inserted in the center, comes out clean- about 35 minutes. Cool cake completely before removing from pan and icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting (also from Country Living)

This recipe makes enough to cover your entire cake.

6 ounces softened cream cheese
1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 1/4 tsp cocoa
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup confections' sugar
orange food coloring to taste

Beat cream cheese using a mixer set on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream with 3/4 cup confections' sugar and a orange food coloring to taste on medium-high to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.