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You are here: Home / Recipes / Baking and Desserts / Mini Pumpkin Layer Cakes

Mini Pumpkin Layer Cakes

October 31, 2012 by Sarah Trivuncic

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mini-pumpkin-cakes

Last week I spent a day recording a video for Bing (the search engine) all about how to make basic cupcakes. They’d asked me to make a few things to have dotted around the kitchen to just generally look nice on set.

I haven’t seen the finished video yet but it became a standing joke during the day that this glass cake stand of mini pumpkin layer cakes would appear to be moving around the kitchen by itself. Possibly they’ll be seen in soft focus in every shot. Hopefully this will only be obvious if you’ve been tipped off!

They were decorated rather hurriedly with melted milk chocolate and chopped nuts on top. For slicker presentation I would like to try making them again with a darker sugar or addition of cocoa into the sponge so the buttercream contrasts more. Maybe I should learn to temper chocolate properly too but it doesn’t feel like one of life’s priorities if they’re only being served at home.

These mini pumpkin cakes taste spicy and autumnal. In a sealed plastic tub they’re still perfectly moist five days later.

mini-pumpkin-cakes

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Mini Pumpkin Layer Cakes

Refer to the separate recipe for maple and cinnamon buttercream to make the icing to sandwich these mini layer cakes together.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Author: Sarah Trivuncic

Ingredients

  • 220 g baking fat or butter at room temperature
  • 480 g soft light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150 g canned pumpkin puree
  • 250 g self raising flour sifted
  • 240 g plain flour sifted
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 225 ml buttermilk
  • to decorate
  • 100 g milk chocolate
  • 2 tbsp chopped nuts

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180c/ gas mark 4 .
  • Using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a very large mixing bowl until the mixture is pale and smooth.
  • Add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree until just combined.
  • Sift over one third of the flour with the spices. Stir until just combined.
  • Add half of the buttermilk to the cake batter and stir until just combined. Repeat with a further third of the flour, then the second half of the buttermilk and finally the last third of the flour.
  • Spoon the mixture into the tin holes, filling them to about two thirds full. Bake for 18-20 minutes - this time is a guide, your own oven may vary.
  • Remove from the oven when a cocktail stick just comes out of the cakes cleanly. Leave them in their tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
  • When cool, snip a 1.5cm hole off the end of a disposable piping bag then fill with 3-4 heaped tablespoons of maple and cinnamon buttercream (separate recipe sheet) - around the size of a large fist rather than full.
  • Twist the bag at the end and expel air to push the icing towards the end. Keeping the end twisted shut, hold the bag with the end resting between one thumb and forefinger and the other gently squeezing the mass of icing.
  • Gradually squeezing the icing out, trace a spiral around the surface of each layer of mini sponge cake.
  • Sandwich the layers together with a gentle squeeze so it bulges out slightly in a pleasing fashion.
  • To decorate, melt the milk chocolate gently in the microwave or a double boiler. Spoon over the tops and sprinkle with chopped nuts before it sets.

Notes

If you don't have a mini Victoria sandwich tin you could slice through large muffin sized cupcakes - you won't have the straight vertical sides though.
Total time noted above allows 30 minutes cake cooling time however you may need longer than this.

 

mini pumpkin layer cakes

This site content is free. When you purchase via referral links on our posts, including those to Amazon, we earn affiliate commission, at no extra cost to yourself. Thanks for reading and please share posts you find useful!
Filed Under: Baking and Desserts Tagged With: cakes, layer cakes, pumpkin, sponge cakes

About Sarah Trivuncic

Sarah Trivuncic has published recipes, restaurant and travel reviews on Maison Cupcake since 2009. She lives in Walthamstow, East London with her husband and teenager.
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VIDEO: Filming The Bing Cupcake Video »

Comments

  1. Dominic says

    October 31, 2012 at 8:37 am

    They look so pretty. I make my mini vics using a cookie cutter but your way must be less wasteful. Lovely pictures x

  2. Kathryn says

    October 31, 2012 at 9:52 am

    They look really lovely! I’ve been eyeing that mini Victoria sponge cake pan and I’m pleased to see that it gives such great results.

  3. laura_howtocook says

    October 31, 2012 at 10:07 am

    So lovely, I think they look so beautiful and even better, they keep well which is what I love about using pumpkin in cake mixes.

  4. canelakitchengloria says

    November 1, 2012 at 12:32 am

    Look absolutely delicious and so cute!!! love minis!

  5. bakecakecrumbs says

    November 3, 2012 at 8:16 pm

    They’re very cute. I do love the look that the mini cake tin gives to cakes – I must get round to using mine!

  6. Rose says

    February 2, 2025 at 6:49 pm

    5 stars
    These taste as good as they look.

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Cover of "Bake Me I'm Yours... Sweet Bitesize Bakes" by Sarah Trivuncic; image shows a selection of small cakes and patisserie. The book has a green polka dot spine edged with pink ribbon and a bow.

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