Jack O Lantern Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For Candy Core and Exterior- In a medium sauce pan or double boiler, heat candy melts until just liquid. 110 degrees is their ideal temperature in a liquid state.
• Blow up several balloons and make sure you have ample room in your freezer. Slowly dip or paint candy melts onto balloon working in small sections until completely covered. Once ready, set on flat plate and place in freezer.
• Here are TWO helpful hints to avoid trouble at this stage: The balloon should be slightly under inflated and the temperature of the candy melts being too warm can cause the balloon to pop and splatter difficult to clean candy all over you and your kitchen. I can't guarantee this won't happen anyway, which is why I mentioned you should blow up several and make your peace with disaster before it happens. Layer the balloon several times and keep frozen until ready to use. When desired shape is achieved punch small hole in balloon and slowly begin to remove using your fingers to separate the balloon from the frozen candy. If any large pieces of your pumpkin core break, simply heat the edges and put it back where it broke from. Keep remaining candy melts to brush on final cake to create delicious seal.
• For Pumpkin Cake- Pre-heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside. In stand mixer, combine 4 cups white sugar. 2 1/2 cups vegetable oil, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 4 cups canned pumpkin. Beat until smooth and then add one egg at a time. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into the wet. Butter and flour six 7" round cake pans and pour two cups batter into each. Bake three at a time at 350 for 30 minutes. Some cakes are finicky, but these are pretty foolproof and so delicious!
• Once removed from oven, wait 10 minutes, then remove from baking dishes, wrap loosely in wax paper and refrigerate until ready to use. At which point you will slice the rounds into thin moon-like crescents with a serrated blade and any additional pieces can be used later for pumpkin cake pops or just eating fresh.
• For Buttercream- In a stand mixer, beat room temp butter until light and the gradually add confectioners sugar. Beat until fluffy, then add 2 tbs heavy whipping cream, 4 tbs canned pumpkin, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp Pumpkin spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp Orange food coloring, 3/4 tsp brown food coloring and taste to ensure the flavor is to your liking.
• Remove cake crescents from fridge and candy core dome from freezer and frost and apply in two layers. Initial layer should start horizontal and the last layer should be vertical. Keep in mind pumpkins are somewhat irregular, so don't worry too much about imperfections. Refrigerate often to ensure cake is structurally sound and never work in a warm kitchen.
• Once built, frost with remaining buttercream and pipe stripes from top to bottom and blend for added dimension and flavor. Seal with leftover candy melts and finalize by painting additional shadows and highlights. Use a flame-heated blade to carve the jack-o-lantern. Cut a small mouse hole in the back and light with either a candle or a plug-in light. This cake has no supports, so know it must be kept cold as it could collapse if left at room temperature.
• Note: You'll need 3 batches of buttercream for this cake.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cakes according to package directions using two 10-in. fluted tube pans. Invert cakes onto wire racks; cool completely. Meanwhile, tint frosting orange using red and yellow food coloring., Cut thin slice off bottom of each cake. Spread one cake bottom with frosting; press flat sides together to make a pumpkin shape. Place a foil ball in the center to support the "stem"; top with an ice cream cake cone. Frost cake with remaining frosting. , To decorate face, roll out fondant to 1/8-in. thickness; cut into desired shapes for mouth and nose. Remove tops from two Oreo cookies; cut half-circles in filling for eyes. Press cookies and fondant into frosting to make the face.

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes, blending dry pudding mix into batter before spooning into prepared cups. Cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and food colorings in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until blended.
• Arrange cupcakes on large platter to resemble a stemmed pumpkin as shown in diagram; frost with cream cheese mixture. Use colored sugar to fill in the stem. Add 2 cookies for the jack-o'-lantern's eyes. Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle over cake for the mouth. Arrange marshmallow halves in mouth for the teeth.

Steps:

• also use: empty toilet paper roll (or empty papertowel roll) OR 1 large lite brown frosted cupcake green crepe paper, or fake leaf garland or if using the cupcake,,pipe on green colored vine and leaves Bake 2 bundt cakes (using 1 bundt pan twice or using 2 bundt cake pans according to box instructions).
• put one bundt cake upside down on serving plate.
• frost the top and place 2nd bundt cake on first bundt cake-- right side up-- this is your pumpkin Make your favorite buttercream frosting and tint pumpkin orange (or use 2 cans prepared frosted either orange or you tint it orange) Frost entire'pumpkin' to decorate wrap the empty toilet paper roll (or papertowel roll cut in half) with foil or wax paper.
• put covered roll in the hole on top of cake cut a dozen or so strips from green crepe paper and put in hole in top to look like vines.
• Or, us artificial leaves& vines.
• Or, place a brown or tan frosted cupcake upside down in hole on top and using green frosting, pipe stem and leaves down and around cupcake for eyes, nose, and mouth on pumpkin, arrange the candy corn to your liking Put additional candy corn around bottom of cake, alternating one up, the next upside down, etc all round cake.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom of each cake pan, then line it with waxed paper or parchment paper and lightly grease and flour the bottom and sides. Divide the batter between the pans and bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 minutes. Cool the cakes completely in the pans on cooling racks and then turn them out onto the racks.
• 2. While the cakes are cooling, transfer 1 cup of the frosting to a glass measuring cup. Tint it green (see Decorating Tips). Tint the remaining frosting orange.
• 3. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of the orange frosting over the flat surface of 1 cake. Invert the second cake on top of the first, joining the flat surfaces of both domes together. Transfer the assembled cake to the cardboard base, if using, or a cake plate. Cover the cake completely with the rest of the orange frosting.
• 4. To make rib indentations as shown in the photo, hold a plastic straw against the cake, curving it from bottom to top. Lift it off, reposition it, and press again. Repeat all around the cake. (Gently incise the ribs with a skewer if you don't have a straw.)
• 5. For the stem, invert the ice cream cone and, using a clean spatula, cover it with the green frosting; add more frosting at the top to give the stem a curved tip. Place the stem on the top of the cake.
• 6. Fit a decorating bag with a coupler and the leaf tip; add 1 cup of the green frosting to the bag. Referring to the photo, pipe several leaves around the base of the stem. Hold the bag at an angle next to the stem. Squeeze out some frosting, allowing it to fan into a wide base, then decrease the pressure and slowly pull the tip away, lifting slightly, to form a point.
• 7. Remove the leaf tip and replace with the round tip. Pipe tendrils around the stem and leaves. Place the tip where you want the tendril to begin. Using even pressure, squeeze out some frosting and move the tip to draw the tendril. Release the pressure and lift the tip when the tendril is the desired length.
• 8. Using a rolling pin, roll the fondant to 1/8 inch thick. Referring to the photo and using a small, sharp knife, cut out the features. For the eyes, cut 2 triangles about 1 1/2 inches wide at the base and 1 1/2 inches tall at the center. For the nose, cut another triangle a little smaller than the eyes. Cut the smile to be about 4 inches from tip to tip. You can draw a paper pattern first if you like.
• 9. Spread the black sugar on a small plate (large enough to hold the smile) using the back of the spoon. Press each cutout into the sugar and then invert the coated cutout onto the pumpkin to form the face, pressing it into the frosting. Transfer the cake to the serving dish if you have not already done so.

Steps:

• Side Bar: Before you start, set your cream cheese and butter out for several hours, so it can warm up to room temperature. Set rack in middle of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Cut the tops off the pumpkins and set aside, With a teaspoon or grapefruit knife, scrape the fibrous pulp and seeds out of the pumpkins. Scrape some of the meat off the inner walls so they are no more than 3/8-inch thick. Put the cream cheese, butter, sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a large mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until blended. Take care not to mix too much air into the batter. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until each is incorporated. Reduce the speed and beat in the sour cream, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Fill the pumpkin shells with the batter and bake, on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Turn the pan and place the tops next to the pumpkins. Bake for 10 more minutes, until barely set and firm. If, at any time, the cakes start to puff up, turn the oven down or remove them. Let cool, in the pan, then refrigerate.;
• Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes until the berries have popped and form a thick sauce. Let cool. To serve, spoon cranberry sauce on top of filling. Place the pumpkin lid on a jaunty angle. Stick the birthday candle and mint sprig into the top.

Steps:

• Tint frosting orange. Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; insert #12 round pastry tip. Fill bag with frosting. Pipe frosting on cupcakes to resemble pumpkins. Decorate faces as desired with assorted toppings.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour 2-quart round casserole or 2 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl. Make 1 box cake batter as directed on box. Pour into casserole.
• Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove cake from casserole; place rounded side up on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Make, bake and cool remaining cake mix using same casserole or bowl.
• With sharp knife, carefully slice piece from top of each cake to make flat surface where cakes will be placed together to form pumpkin shape. (Cake scraps can be saved and added to another recipe such as pudding or trifle if desired.)
• In medium bowl, place frosting; tint with 9 drops yellow and 6 drops red food color to make orange frosting. On plate, place 1 cake, rounded side down. Spread 2/3 cup of the orange frosting over cake almost to edge. Place second cake, rounded side up, on frosted cake to make round shape. Spread a thin layer of frosting over entire cake to seal in crumbs. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes. Frost entire cake with remaining orange frosting.
• Trim ice-cream cone to desired height for stem; place upside down on cake. Cut out eyes, nose, mouth, vines and leaves from fruit snack rolls. Place on frosted cake to form face. Store tightly covered.

Steps:

• Coarsely chop 5 cookies; set aside. Finely crush 15 cookies; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Beat pudding mix and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 2 cups COOL WHIP. Mix in chopped cookies. Pour over crust; freeze 1 hour.
• Spread orange sherbet over pudding layer. Cover; freeze 3 hours or until firm. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; remove rim.
• Decorate cake to resemble a jack-o'-lantern by splitting 2 of the cookies to make the eyes, placing the orange filling facing up and reserving the 2 remaining chocolate wafers for snacking. Add the hard candies for pupils. Use candy corn for the nose. Outline the mouth with the licorice. Cut the remaining cookies in several pieces and use as jagged teeth. Garnish with remaining COOL WHIP.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir baking mix, milk, sugar, and butter together in a bowl until a soft dough forms. Smooth dough gently into a ball on a floured cloth placed over a cutting board. Knead dough 8 to 10 times only, as dough will get tough very quickly if overkneaded.
• Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on the floured cloth. Cut dough using a floured 2-inch circle cookie cutter. Cut circles to form pumpkins; cut stems from scrap dough using a knife. Attach stems to the underside of the circles using a dab of milk and pressure. Place cookies on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden around the edges, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes.
• While cookies cool, cut licorice in 3 different sizes: 1/4-inch pieces in sets of 3 to form triangle eyes, tiny dots for the pupils, and 1- to 2-inch curved or straight segments to form mouths.
• Mix confectioners' sugar, milk, and orange extract together in a small bowl for frosting. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the frosting to dye with green food coloring in a bowl. Use orange food coloring to dye remaining frosting as desired.
• Frost green stems and orange pumpkin faces onto cooled cookies and decorate with cut licorice and candy corn while frosting is still wet.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350° and butter two 10-inch bundt cake pans.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the milk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract until smooth.
• In another large bowl, beat the butter or margarine and oil together with an electric mixer until combined. Next, beat in the sugar. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Alternately beat in the milk/pumpkin mixture and the flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• Frosting:
• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract. Then beat in the powdered sugar gradually until the frosting is a spreadable consistency. Color about 1 cup of the frosting green and the rest orange.
• Assembly:.
• Trim the bottoms of the cakes so they lie flat against each other. Frost the flat surface of the bottom cake and place the other cake on top. Frost the entire cake orange. When the frosting dries, add green frosting leaves and top with the ice cream cone to create a stem.
• Decoration:.
• Sprinkle sugar over your work surface and use a rolling pin to flatten 12 large yellow and white gumdrops together into a pancake about 1/4 inch thick.
• Adults only - use a knife to cut out the eyes, nose and mouth. Microwave 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips for about 60 seconds.
• Dip the left side and bottom of the facial features in the melted chocolate. Dab a small amount of water onto the top surface of each feature, sprinkle the edible glitter on top, then press the facial features onto the cake.