Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Recipe

*Disclaimer - I was sent products from Handi-Foil to facilitate my review and recipe. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Are you baking yet?

This is the time of year when I see recipes and craft ideas at every turn. Grocery end-caps advertise the fun treats to be made with their products and Pinterest, well, I try not to spend too much time on Pinterest right now. I do enjoy making some fun treats, but I usually have a hard time deciding which ones to make.

My son brings home classroom and school announcements every Wednesday from Kindergarten. A call for baked sale goodies and cake walk items for the upcoming school carnival got me thinking. What in the world would be fast and easy to make, but appealing to school kids?

I tried out the Handi-Foil Pumpkin Pans & Lids with a Chocolate and Pumpkin cake. Sorry, I don't do plain or ordinary. I love the idea of a rich mixture of chocolate and pumpkin though. To the frosting I added just a hint of cinnamon along with vanilla bean paste. The resulting cake was moist and flavorful. The frosting is a real winner, not heavy like other cream cheese frosting, but still worthy of licking the beaters for.

These pans are just too cute! I love the idea of baking my cake in the same pan that I can also transport it in. That saves me time and hassle. It also means that I can save some money not buying a special pumpkin cake pan. I own far too many specialty pans as it is. How many times will I really be baking a 3-dimensional choo-choo train or pumpkin, for that matter.

I also love the idea of filling these pans with candy or other ghoulishly-good treats for Halloween.

This cake recipe isn't difficult. It does call for buttermilk, but you can always sour a bit of regular milk with a splash of vinegar, or use buttermilk powder and water. The cake itself is enough for one regular 13"x 9" pan, or two of these cute pumpkin pans.

The recipe is simple and another great place for me to use up my daily bounty of fresh eggs.

These cakes baked up well. Visually the center shouldn't move or be concave, a toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the middle. Also be sure to allow for ample time for the cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Yeah, don't harm the frosting...

Cream cheese frosting is just so good, but this batch uses less cream cheese and folds in whipped cream. The result is all the flavor without the thick consistency. The frosting has just a hint of cocoa added and a little cinnamon for added depth.

I colored most of my frosting orange, and then reserved a small portion to dye green for the stem and leaves. The cocoa powder kept the colors from being too bright. I was going for a more natural shade of orange and green.

I broke out the Wilton tips to add some leaves and tendrils to the top of my pumpkin cakes. I also used some melted semi-sweet chocolate fr accents. I was going for simple and my daughter asked me why the pumpkin didn't have a face.

So, I made a jack-o-lantern out of the second cake for my daughter.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

You Will Need:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 2/3 c. Dutch processed cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 1 c. pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
• 3/4 c. butter, unsalted, softened
• 1 c. dark brown sugar
• 1 c. sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 oz. softened cream cheese
• 2 1/4 c. powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. Dutch processed cocoa
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• orange and green food coloring gel
• melted semi-sweet chocolate for decorating

Spray the two pumpkin pans with non-stick spray. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, buttermilk and vanilla bean paste. Cream together the butter and sugars in a stand mixer, then beat in one egg at a time. Then alternate adding the flour mixture and the pumpkin mixture. Divide the batter in half between the two pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste till fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and 3/4 c. powdered sugar. Gently fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Reserve a small amount of frosting to color green and color the rest orange with food coloring.

Frost the cakes with the orange frosting and chill for at least 30 minutes before adding any details. With the green frosting, I used a Wilton tip #4 for the tendrils and #352 for the leaves. Then I melted some semi-sweet chocolate and drizzled it over the pumpkin to accent lines or make the jack-o-lantern face.

Refrigerate the cake until serving.

Enjoy!

Connect with Eco-Foil on Facebook or check out the Handi-Foil website to browse their entire collection of pans.

Spooky Brain Brew and Spider Treats for your Halloween Celebrations

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. Counting down to Halloween I was able to get in some Halloween baking and whipped up this spooky Halloween punch for my family. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.  #SpookyCelebration

Halloween is my favorite occasion for baking and decorating. As a child I not only looked forward to dressing up each year, but I was also excited to sample all the Halloween baking and Halloween punch available at October parties. The chance to get creative and make my kids smile motivates me to find new treats and concoctions each year. Are you ready for your #SpookyCelebration this year?

This weekend we started off the month by spending a family day on the farm. I love to stretch our Halloween fun out over the whole month. My kids try to get out to the market every chance they can. They just love the hay maze and corn maze. My husband puts a lot of thought and pride into setting them up for the local kids, but it is also fun to enjoy with our family.

The kids had a blast. Set up in a spare greenhouse, the hay maze is fun regardless of the weather outside. My husband made it more difficult this year and it was fun to watch other families enjoying it as well.

I knew my family would be building up an appetite and working up a thirst on the farm, I had some spooky treat ideas up my sleeve. I found a brain mold last year and have been waiting for the perfect chance to try it out. Using plain gelatin, evaporated milk and Hawaiian Punch, I created a wiggly brain for everyone.

I just adore gelatin molds.

After spraying the mold with non-stick spray, I filled it and set it in the fridge to chill for about 4 hours. I couldn't wait to show off my creepy creation to the kids.

My son is a the age where "gross" is becoming cool. I must admit it is a pretty fun part of having little boys and fits in perfectly with Halloween fun. Give him bugs and gelatin brains and he's thrilled.

Hawaiian Punch Gelatin Brain

You Will Need:

• 5 packets of unflavored gelatin
• 5 c. Hawaiian Punch - Fruit Juicy Red
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 5 oz. evaporated milk
• 1 brain mold
• non-stick spray

Wash and dry the brain mold before using. Lightly spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Pour two cups of cold Hawaiian Punch into a medium bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let it sit for 2 minutes.

Add 3 cups of hot juice and sugar until gelatin and sugar dissolve completely. Let the mixture come to room temperature and then whisk in the evaporated milk. Place the mold in a small baking dish so it won't tip. Pour mixture into the mold and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Unmold gelatin onto a plate immediately before serving.

I also wanted something that would appeal more to my daughter. She loves decorated cupcakes, but when I saw these little toothpick legs I was thinking doughnut spiders. Paired with candy eyes and topped with all our favorite chopped Mars candy, I knew these would be a runaway hit.

I started with a simple vanilla bean baked doughnut. They do require a doughnut pan, but I love that they aren't fried or greasy. You could substitute with vanilla cupcakes as well. Topped with simple vanilla buttercream, I decorated each spider with M&Ms or chopped mini Mars candy bars. The perfect way to use up leftover candy, don't you think? I love both Milky Way and Snickers so had to use those. Then I added on on two candy eyes and put leg toothpicks on each side to look like a spider.

Baked Vanilla Bean Doughnut Spiders 

You Will Need:

• 1 c. pastry flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. buttermilk powder
• 2 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla bean paste
• 1 buttercream recipe
• chopped Mars candy (Snickers, Milky Way, Twix or 3 Musketeers) or M&Ms for decorating
• candy eyes
• toothpick legs
• cupcake papers

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the doughnut pan generously.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Beat the wet ingredients together in a different bowl and then add to the dry mixture all at once. Stir till combined then divide between the 6 doughnut pan wells.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until a toothpicks comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to help ease out any stuck doughnuts. Let them cool completely before frosting.

Set each doughnut on a slightly flattened cupcake paper. Frost the top of each with a favorite buttercream recipe. Top with candy and then put candy eyes on each one. Put toothpick legs on each side of the doughnut.

Gobble them up before they skitter away!

The last trick up my sleeve was a classic punch. Aren't they the best? This one is a throw-back to my childhood parties. Hawaiian Punch is a classic all on it's own, but for Halloween I dressed it up with a bit of 7-Up, pineapple juice and dry ice.

Be sure to use plastic containers, wear gloves and handle the dry ice with tongs. I placed a cup inside my punchbowl to hold the dry ice. Just keep it weighted down in the middle and pour the punch ingredients in the bowl. Once a little water is added to the dry ice, it will begin to fog over the top and create a spooky effect for the table.

Since both featured Hawaiian Punch - Fruit Juicy Red, I dubbed my punch, "Brain Brew" to go along with the gelatin brain.

Hawaiian Punch "Brain Brew"

You Will Need:

• 1 gallon Hawaiian Punch - Fruit Juicy Red
• 1 liter 7UP
• 1 quart pineapple juice
• dry ice
• water

Use a large plastic punch bowl. Place a cup or tall container in the middle of the bowl and while wearing gloves and using tongs, place a large piece of dry ice inside it. Pour the Hawaiian Punch, 7UP and pineapple juice around the cup and stir. When your party begins, pour a small amount of water into the cup with dry ice. It will start to fog over the punch bowl and spill over the sides. If the smoke starts to lessen, add more water or a new piece of dry ice. Be sure to dish up the punch with a plastic ladle and take care not to touch the dry ice.

Grab a coupon for Mars Halloween candy, you know that will come in handy this month. You can also find more spooky inspiration on the Bright Ideas site.


What spooky things do you make for Halloween?