Description
This festive Thanksgiving Cake combines warm spice cake with pumpkin for a moist and flavorful dessert. Adorned with colorful frosting and coconut ‘leaves,’ it’s perfect for celebrating the holiday with a beautifully crafted pumpkin-shaped centerpiece cake.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 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
- Prepare the Oven and Batter: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the spice cake mixes, eggs, pumpkin, canola oil, and evaporated milk. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine the ingredients, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to create a smooth batter.
- Add Baking Chips and Portion Batter: Stir in the white baking chips gently. Grease two 12-cup fluted tube pans and prepare 2 greased muffin cups. Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full with batter and pour the remaining batter evenly into the tube pans.
- Bake the Cakes and Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean: approximately 20 minutes for the cupcakes and 40 to 45 minutes for the cakes. Once done, cool in the pans for 25 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Level and Assemble the Cake: Once cooled, level the bottom of each cake. Spread frosting on one cake bottom, then stack the other cake bottom on top to create a round pumpkin shape.
- Prepare Frosting Colors: Mix red and yellow food coloring to create orange frosting; tint about three-fourths of the vanilla frosting in this orange shade. Tint the remaining frosting green for the leaves and vines.
- Create the Pumpkin Stem: Place one cupcake upright in the center of the cake to serve as the pumpkin stem. Add a dollop of green frosting on top and place the second cupcake upside down on top. Frost the assembled cupcakes with green frosting.
- Frost the Cake and Add Decorations: Frost the entire cake with orange frosting to resemble a pumpkin. Use green frosting to pipe curly vines and leaves onto the cake surface. Combine shredded coconut with green food coloring and sprinkle it around the base of the cake to simulate grass or leaves.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs to ensure a well-mixed batter and better texture.
- Greasing and flouring the tube pans helps the cakes release easily after baking.
- Adjust food coloring intensity gradually to achieve vibrant, natural colors.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting to prevent melting or sliding.
- Leftover frosted cupcakes can be enjoyed as delicious treats.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/24 of cake)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 280mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
