Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
• 3 cups granulated sugar (600g)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (10g)
• 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon (6g)
• 1 tsp ground ginger (3g)
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (2g)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
• 1/2 cup carton egg whites or 4 large egg whites, room temperature (120g)
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (112g)
• 1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream, room temperature (360g)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil (28g)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
• 3 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (678 grams)
• 11 cups powdered sugar (1375 grams - or about 3 lbs)
• 1 tsp fine salt (6 grams)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (or whipping cream (115 grams))
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12 grams)
• orange gel food coloring
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• Kitchen paint brush
• Large piping bag
• Ateco 789 frosting tip
• Red, orange, and yellow fondant
• Leaf cookie cutters

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Pumpkin Cake Layers: ---

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line four 7-inch or three 8-inch round pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick cooking spray. You can also use this recipe to make 3, 8-inch cake layers. If you don't have that many cake pans, the batter can sit at room temperature for a few hours. Bake as many layers at a time as you can at a time.

3. 3

   Mix 3 cups all purpose flour, 3 cups sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.

4. 4

   Mix 1 cup of room temperature, unsalted butter slowly into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain and the mixture looks like moist sand.

5. 5

   Pour in 1/2 cup of egg whites and 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree. Mix on low until just incorporated. Then mix in 1 1/2 cups of sour cream on a low speed.

6. 6

   Add in 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. If you want to color these cake layers, add in the gel food coloring during this step.

7. 7

   Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat on a medium speed for about a minute to make sure everything is properly mixed together. This also helps lighten the texture of the cake layers a bit.

8. 8

   Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 33-36 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

9. 9

   Place the cake pans into the freezer for 45 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers from the pans.

10. 10

    Once the layers have cooled, level then using a serrated knife to trim the top of each cake layer. Save the cake tops in a bowl to make the pumpkin stump later.

11. 11

    --- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: ---

12. 12

    While the cake layers bake and cool, make the vanilla buttercream frosting.

13. 13

    Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with small splashes of cream.

14. 14

    Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached.

15. 15

    If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 TBSP at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

16. 16

    --- To Assemble This Pumpkin Shaped Cake: ---

17. 17

    Stack and frost the pumpkin cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

18. 18

    Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer.

19. 19

    carve the top and bottom edge of the cake to begin to make a sphere shape.

20. 20

    Apply a thin coat of frosting around the cake, to fully cover the cake layers. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

21. 21

    Color the remaining frosting orange with gel food coloring, and place in a frosting bag fit with a wide, flat frosting tip (Wilton 789).

22. 22

    Pipe lines of buttercream vertically up the sides of the cake to make the panels of the pumpkin.

23. 23

    Smooth using an offset spatula and an acetate sheet.

24. 24

    In a separate bowl, crumble the cake tops using a fork. Mix with 1/2 cup of frosting, and some a 1 inch tall stump.

25. 25

    Place this on top of the cake, then brush with melted dark chocolate.

26. 26

    If desired, place fondant leaves around the base of the cake.

27. 27

    Then cut in and enjoy!