Skip to content

Mini Pumpkin Cake Recipe - a Thanksgiving treat

It’s heartwarming to see front doors adorned with bales of hay, friendly-faced scarecrows, raffia-wrapped corn stalks, and pumpkins lining the stairs.
Mini Pumpkin Cake | Michele Bogle
Mini Pumpkin Cake | Michele Bogle

Fall is in the air, and the leaves are on the ground; a reminder that pumpkins are ripe for the picking. It’s heartwarming to see front doors adorned with bales of hay, friendly-faced scarecrows, raffia-wrapped corn stalks, and pumpkins lining the stairs. 

The orange gourds of all shapes and sizes are strategically placed by doting parents who allow their wee children to choose during their annual trip to a local pumpkin patch. 

Pumpkins are chock full of nutrients, but most only appreciate the squash, or gourd, as a flavourful dessert and deliciously roasted treat. 

There is considerable symbolism associated with the pumpkin, both carved and uncarved. Untouched, it represents abundance because of the many seeds within. As it receives its nutrients through a vine, we, too, can draw parallels that our connections are made through the vine of friendship. One might embrace the idea that each seed denotes a dream that will be fulfilled. Spiritually, the abundance that the gourd offers as a whole is full of blessings, with each seed symbolizing opportunity. 

A favoured decoration for Thanksgiving and Halloween, this underestimated squash makes an appearance for only one month each year. Try to find a way to enjoy it as often as you can.

Roberts Farms and Alderbrook Farm & Apiary carry pumpkins and an assortment of fresh produce. Makers and entertainment for the young and old can also be found when you visit the Civitan Farmers Market at Dorval Crossing in Oakville.

Here is an extremely moist and easy-to-make pumpkin cake recipe, whether you choose to use fresh pumpkin or canned. I am not a fan of cloves, so you won’t find them in my recipe. My recipe has more cinnamon in it than found in most others. I love the flavour balance. I believe that this will become your go-to pumpkin dessert.

Mini Pumpkin Cake Recipe

PREPARATION TIME (for recipe made with fresh pumpkin)   3 hrs   YIELD   8

Equipment

Round silicone moulds (at least 16), spatula, electric or stand mixer, measuring cup, knife, frosting spreader, medium size mixing bowl, baking pan, parchment paper, blender, cake tester, plastic wrap, dowel-like object (for holding pumpkin while icing)

Ingredients

Cake

1 ¾ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

5 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¾ cup butter softened

1 ½ cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 ½ cups of fresh or canned pumpkin

Frosting

⅓ cup cream cheese, room temperature

7 Tbsp butter, softened

1 ½ cups of icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Buttercream Icing

2 cups icing sugar

1 cup butter, softened

¼ cup milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 oz orange food colouring, or 1 oz red and 1 oz yellow

1 drop of black food colouring, optional

1 drop of red, yellow and blue food colouring for the stems

Directions

Step 1

Use this step only if you are using fresh pumpkins—Preheat the oven to 400℉. Open the pumpkin and scrape out the hair and seeds thoroughly. Divide the pumpkin into 8 pieces and set the flesh side down onto a parchment-lined baking pan—Bake for 1 hour. Let cool and then purée in a blender.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Incorporate pumpkin purée.

Step 3

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices in a mixing bowl. Add dry mixture by hand to wet mixture.

Step 4

Pour batter evenly into silicone moulds and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the cake tester comes clean. Let cool before removing from moulds. 

Step 5

Wrap individually with plastic wrap and freeze until cream cheese frosting and buttercream icing are prepared.

Step 6

Cream the cheese and butter with a mixer, then add vanilla and icing sugar until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.

Step 7

With a mixer, cream butter, turn the mixer down and then gradually add icing sugar. Turn the speed up to medium-high and add milk and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Set aside two tablespoons of icing for the stems.

Step 8

Add food colouring to the icing in the mixer. Optional; add the black colour for a darker colour. Tweak until the desired hue is reached. If the consistency of the icing is too thick, add a tiny amount of milk. Too thin; add more icing sugar. Set aside.

Step 9

Unwrap cake halves and level the middle of each half. If it’s preferred that the pumpkin sit upright, level the rounded side of eight pieces with a quarter-sized horizontal slice. Keep the trimmings to use as stems. 

Step 10

Place a piece of parchment paper down to set the cakes on. Spread the cream cheese frosting on the inside of eight pieces that were levelled. Join the eight pieces with the plain halves to make eight spheres. Fill in any gaps with frosting. 

Step 11

Set a cake on a separate piece of paper, level side down, and push the dowel or skewer straight down from the top and into the sphere enough to hold the cake in place. With a free hand, apply the coloured icing. Ensure a generous amount is used so a knife or dull tool can create the effect. Repeat.

Step 12

Use equal amounts of red, yellow and blue to make brown icing—ice cake trimmings in the shape and size of a stem. Make a large enough opening at the top of each cake to push in the stem. Keep refrigerated until served.


What's next?


Reader Feedback