Halloween Treats

You can be a hit at the Halloween party with these simple treat ideas from Every Girl Gourmet.

Mini Pumpkin Cakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch nutmeg
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar lightly packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 can pumpkin puree 15 oz
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese softened
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Buttercream:
1 lb confectioners' sugar
1 cup salted butter room temp
1/4 cup milk add in slowly until you achieve desired consistency
1 tsp vanilla extract
orange food color gel

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour your mini bundt pans.

Cream the oil and butter with the sugars together, then add in the yogurt and applesauce and mix until combined.

Mix in eggs one at a time, making sure one egg is incorporated into the mixture before adding the next.

In a separate bowl sift the remaining dry ingredients together.

Mix dry ingredients into the sugar/egg mixture in three batches alternating with the pumpkin puree. Mix until just combined.

Spoon or pipe your batter into the pans, filling 2/3 the way up. 

Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl until it is smooth. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until ingredients are well-incorporated and desired consistency is reached. 

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. You will want a stiffer buttercream so you might be using less milk. Finally, add in the food coloring.

Assembly: Cut bottoms off cakes (less if you want tall pumpkins, more if you want rounder ones).

Pipe or smear cream cheese frosting onto the bottom of one mini bundt cake and sandwich together.

Cover in orange buttercream and sculpt into a pumpkin shape. (After you cover your cakes in buttercream, I chill them in the fridge for about 20 minutes so they will be easier to sculpt.)

If covering in chocolate vs. buttercream,  assemble cakes as noted and then place on a cooking rack.  Warm 1 cup of melting chocolates with 1 tsp. shortening in microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir, and if needed, microwave an additional 30 seconds. Stir well and then pour over cake to get desired coverage. Scrap any chocolate drippings back into bowl to use again.

*If making a large pumpkin, double the recipe for two bundts and then follow directions as noted for small cakes.

LINK: everygirlgourmet.wordpress.com