Description
This festive Thanksgiving Cake combines rich spice cake layers infused with pumpkin and baked to perfection. Decorated creatively with colored frostings and coconut, it resembles a giant pumpkin centerpiece perfect for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 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
Decoration Ingredients
- 2 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting
- Red, yellow, and green paste or liquid food coloring
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, combine the two packages of spice cake mix, 6 eggs, one 15-ounce can of pumpkin, 2/3 cup canola oil, and 2/3 cup evaporated milk. Beat at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until well combined.
- Add baking chips: Stir in 2 cups of white baking chips gently into the batter to spread evenly throughout.
- Fill pans and bake: Grease and flour two 12-cup fluted tube pans. Also, grease muffin cups for cupcakes. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full with batter, and pour the remaining batter evenly into the tube pans. Bake cupcakes for about 20 minutes and cakes for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 25 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Level and assemble cakes: Level the bottoms of each cake by trimming to create flat surfaces. Spread frosting on one cake bottom and place the other cake bottom on top to form a pumpkin-shaped base. Set aside.
- Tint frostings: Combine red and yellow food coloring to create an orange tint and color about three-fourths of the frosting with this mixture. Tint the remaining frosting green for leaves and vines.
- Create pumpkin stem: Place one cupcake right side up at the center of the assembled cake as a stem support. Dollop green frosting onto this cupcake and invert the second cupcake on top of it, then frost the top cupcake with green frosting.
- Frost the cake: Frost the entire cake with the orange-tinted frosting, smoothly covering the surface to resemble a pumpkin.
- Pipe vines and decorate base: Using the green frosting, pipe curly vines and leaves over the pumpkin cake. Tint shredded sweetened coconut with green food coloring and sprinkle it around the base of the cake to resemble grass or foliage.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs help achieve a better cake texture.
- Be sure to level the cake bottoms to ensure stable assembly.
- Use paste food coloring for more vibrant colors without thinning the frosting.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- If you prefer, substitute vegan or dairy-free frosting for dietary preferences.
- The cake keeps well for up to 3 days refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/24 of cake)
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
