Description
This festive Thanksgiving Cake is a deliciously spiced pumpkin-flavored cake with creamy vanilla frosting, decorated to resemble a festive pumpkin. Made from scratch using spice cake mix, pumpkin, and baking chips, this cake combines moist texture with sweet, creamy frosting, and is beautifully decorated with colored frosting and coconut to resemble a pumpkin with vines and leaves, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 2 packages spice cake mix (regular size)
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk
- 2 cups white baking chips
Frosting and Decoration
- 2 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting
- Red, yellow and green paste or liquid food coloring
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s at the right temperature for baking your cake and cupcakes.
- Make the Batter: In a large bowl, combine the two packages of spice cake mix, 6 large eggs, 1 can of pumpkin, 2/3 cup canola oil, and 2/3 cup evaporated milk. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to blend the ingredients, then increase to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until well combined and smooth. Stir in 2 cups of white baking chips to add sweetness and texture.
- Prepare Pans and Fill: Grease two muffin pans for cupcakes and fill each cup two-thirds full with batter. Then, grease and flour two 12-cup fluted tube pans, and pour the remaining batter evenly into these pans for the cakes.
- Bake the Cake and Cupcakes: Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes, and the cakes for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This ensures the cakes are fully baked but moist.
- Cool the Cakes: Let cakes cool in their pans for 25 minutes then carefully remove them and place on wire racks to cool completely to avoid frosting melting.
- Level and Assemble the Pumpkin: Level the bottom of each cake to create flat surfaces. Spread frosting on one cake bottom, then place the other cake bottom on top to form a solid pumpkin shape. Set this aside.
- Color the Frosting: Mix red and yellow food coloring to make orange. Tint about three-fourths of the vanilla frosting orange and the remaining frosting green.
- Construct the Stem: Place one cupcake upright in the center of the pumpkin cake to act as the stem support. Dollop green frosting on the cupcake, then place the remaining cupcake upside down over it. Frost the cupcake stem with green frosting thoroughly.
- Frost the Cake: Cover the entire pumpkin-shaped cake with the orange-tinted frosting, smoothing it out to give the appearance of a pumpkin.
- Create Vines and Leaves: Use the green frosting to pipe curly vines and leaves over the cake for decoration, adding a festive flourish.
- Decorate the Base: Tint the shredded coconut with green food coloring to resemble grass and sprinkle it around the base of the cake to complete the look.
Notes
- Make sure eggs are at room temperature for better batter consistency.
- Use paste food coloring for brighter hues that won’t affect frosting consistency.
- Greasing and flouring the tube pans helps the cake release easily after baking.
- Leveling the cakes before assembling ensures the pumpkin shape is stable and even.
- You can substitute white baking chips with white chocolate chips if desired.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting or sliding.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/24th of cake)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
