How to Decorate a Pumpkin Cake
Spiced pumpkin cake is a delicious, simple way to use extra pumpkin in the fall. It's traditionally served with a cream cheese frosting, but a caramel frosting works well too. Craft stores that sell cake supplies often sell pumpkin-shaped cake pans that add to the charm. Decorate pumpkin cake with candy pumpkins, resembling candy corn, that are available in the fall. Refrigerate pumpkin cake to set the frosting, but serve it at room temperature. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 6 oz. cream cheese
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- Small bowl
- Hand or stand mixer
- Large bowl
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Cake-decorating spatula
- Pumpkin-shaped candies
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- Scallop frosting tip
- Pastry bag
Instructions
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Decorating a Sheet Cake
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1
Put the cream cheese and butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 20 seconds to soften it. Transfer to a large bowl and add the vanilla. Mix the cream cheese and butter mixture with the mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition, until smooth.
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2
Spread the cream cheese frosting on the top of a square cake. Fill the pastry bag with frosting and pipe a scalloped edge around the cake. Place pumpkin candies on the cake, spacing them every three inches. Slice the cake so that each serving has a pumpkin candy.
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3
Cover any leftover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to five days.
Decorating a Round Cake
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4
Put the cream cheese and butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 20 seconds to soften it. Transfer to a large bowl and add the vanilla. Mix with the mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition, until smooth.
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5
Place one round cake on a cake stand and spread frosting on the top. Place a second round cake on top of the first one. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the cake spatula until smooth.
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6
Press chopped pecans into the sides of the cake with your hand to form a thin layer of nuts. Completely coat the sides of the cake. Brush away any nuts that fall to the cake stand with a damp paper towel.
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7
Fill the pastry bag with frosting. Pipe a scalloped edge around the top and bottom of the cake. The scalloped edge will soften the effect of the nuts and create a finished look. Place pumpkin candies every two inches around the edge of the top of the cake.
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Tips & Warnings
To make a caramel frosting, melt 1 stick butter in a sauce pan. Add 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar and 2 tbsp. milk. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.
For a pumpkin roll, bake the cake in a 9 x 13 jellyroll pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cool the cake and carefully remove it onto a clean dish towel. Spread the cake with cream cheese frosting and roll it up to make a pumpkin jelly roll. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
To decorate a pumpkin-shaped cake, make a cream cheese frosting and add orange food coloring. Frost the entire cake and fashion green leaves out of paper or felt. Curl a food-safe wire to make a tendril.
References
Resources
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