The Perfect Pumpkin Cake Recipe 🎃

I made a pumpkin cake for my daughter’s pumpkin themed birthday party. It turned out almost perfect. The only thing I would’ve done differently was make the buttercream a little thinner so it spread better. Here’s the recipe:

For the Cake:

- 3 cups pumpkin puree

- 4 tsp cinnamon

- 4 tsp ground ginger

- 1 tsp ground nutmeg

- 1 tsp ground cloves

- 1 tsp allspice

- 2 tsp salt

- 2 tsp baking soda

- 8 tsp baking powder

- 8 cups all-purpose flour

- 5 cups dark brown sugar packed

- 8 large eggs

- 2 cup buttermilk

- 2 cup unsalted butter room temp

- 1 cup sour cream

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

- 16 oz cream cheese softened

- 4 cups powdered sugar

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Buttercream:

- 2 lb confectioner's sugar

- 2 cup salted butter room temp

- 1/4 cup milk

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 20 drops orange food coloring Depends on brand used and desired color.

For the Stem:

- 4 tablespoons un salted butter room temperature

- 2 cups confectioners sugar

- 5 drops food coloring Green and brown

Instructions

For the Cake

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

* Butter and flour 2 large bundt pans.

* Mix the buttermilk and sour cream in a bowl and set aside.

* Sift the dry ingredients (except the sugar) together and give a good whisk to mix well.

* Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for approximately 4 minutes on medium.

* Add the eggs one at a time making sure each is incorporated well before adding the next.

* Add the flour mixture in three batches alternating with the milk mixture. Making sure you start and end with the flour mixture. Do not over-mix, just beat until combined.

* Mix in the pumpkin puree. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure the pumpkin is well incorporated.

* Pour batter into bundt pans. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

* Allow cakes to rest in pans for about 20 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool. 

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

* Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until it is smooth. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix until ingredients are well-incorporated and desired consistency is reached.

For the Buttercream:

* Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and then slowly add sugar. Add milk a few tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached. If want a stiffer buttercream, use less milk. Add in the food coloring.

For the Assembly:

* Cut bottoms off cakes.

* Pipe or smear cream cheese frosting onto bottoms. Sandwich together.

* Depending on the shape bundt pan you use, you may need to contour the outside using a knife to sculpt into a pumpkin shape.

* Cover in orange buttercream. Refrigerate to help the sculpting process.

* Using a knife, smooth into ridges. Add a second layer of dark buttercream to create dimension. 

* Smooth the buttercream. I cut a yogurt cup into a half circle-shaped tool. It's flexible and doesn't gouge the buttercream. 

* For the final smoothing chill the pumpkin in the freezer and use the back of a spoon dipped in hot water.

For the Stem:

* Mix together butter and sugar until you get a consistency that is similar to clay. Mix in green food coloring. Sculpt into a stem figure. Use a piping bag with brown food coloring to create a natural look. 

Notes

* If you want to go for added realism then whip up two batches of buttercream in similar shades of orange. Cover your pumpkin in one batch and begin shaping it.

* Pop it into the fridge and let it chill to harden, then add highlights or lowlights (your choice) on the pumpkin's ridges and smooth them out to blend. I have a couple of things to say about the stem.

* At first I tried to make one by covering an inverted cupcake in green buttercream and then sculpting. It looked OK but kind of cartoonish and out of proportion. I ended up mixing up a very thick batch of buttercream and rolling it into the desired shape then carved away at it, added some brown streaks and an off-white top the result was significantly more realistic and easier to make. Your third option is to shape one from fondant.

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