In the spirit of Halloween that is next week I thought I’d share a cake that I made and came in second in a baking contest where I work. This is kinda lengthy, but it is a fun cake to make. And when you decorate it you can make it look like a pumpkin or a jack-o-lantern if you like. Be creative and have fun!
Pumpkin Cake Surprise
Ingredients for Cake:
- 2 Devil’s Food Cake Mixes (I used Duncan Heinz, but any brand will do)
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 2/3 cups water
- 1 wafer ice cream cone (can use sugar cone if desired)
- Butter-Cream Icing (recipe below)
- Butter-Mints (recipe below) (this is the surprise)
- 4-5 wooden tooth picks
Mix each cake separately according to directions. Bake in a fluted 10 inch / 12 cup bundt pan 45-50 minutes in pre-heated oven at 350° . Let each cake cool completely on wire racks. (If baking ahead of time, you may wrap cake loosely in a dish-towel and freeze for 1-2 hours before icing. Cakes can stay in freezer 3-4 days if needed.)
To assemble cake:
Place one cake upside down on serving plate, cake board, etc. Then place the second cake right side up on the bottom layer. Match up the ridges of the cakes so they are uniform. Use a leveler if necessary to shave off excess cake so that the layers are flush. Remove the top layer and smooth a thin layer of icing on bottom half of cake and lay butter mint pressed together to form a ring until covered. Smooth another thin layer of icing on the butter mint layer and place the top layer of cake on top of this. Insert wooden toothpicks crossways into the cake opening at the top to set the wafer ice cream cone.
Fill wafer ice cream cone with green butter mint, then cover the wafer with stem-colored icing. Place upside down on toothpicks and begin star tipping cake. Place leaf mints on the stem.
Butter-Cream Icing:
- 4 lbs. Powdered Sugar
- 4 cups solid vegetable shortening
- 1 cup milk (plus 4-6 tables if needed for spreading consistency)
- 2 tsp. Clear vanilla flavoring
- 1 tsp. Clear butter flavoring
- ½ tsp. Almond flavoring
- ¼ tsp. Lemon flavoring
- Orange coloring
- #17 star tip
- pastry bag
Mix well with electric mixer until icing is smooth and creamy. For easier handling, divide ingredients in half to make two smaller portions. Save 1-2 tablespoons of icing to make stem color (I combined orange, yellow and white together to make it). Tint the remainder with orange gel until desired color is reached.
Butter-Mints:
- 1 stick butter (softened)
- ¼ cup heavy-whipping cream
- 7 drops of mint flavoring
- 1 lb. Powdered sugar
- Green coloring
Mix first four ingredients together with mixer. Tint mint dough to desired color. Mints should be the consistency of play dough. Make two leaves with mold, set aside.
Leanne Tyler 