Mini Pumpkin Cake Bites

I’ve been seeing lots of pictures in my Facebook feed of all my friends at the pumpkin patch with their kids and I can’t wait to go pick pumpkins with my boys this year. I thought it would be fun to make some pumpkin mini cakes to celebrate this wonderful time of year (and the fact that fall temps are coming to Chicago this week)!

Ingredients

  • Box Cake Mix (any flavor) and ingredients needed to make the cake
  • Frosting (any flavor)
  • Tootsie Rolls
  • Orange Colored Chocolate Candy Melts

Directions

  • Make your cake mix according to the directions on the box and let cool.
  • Crumble cake mix into a large bowl.
  • Add in one can of frosting and stir together.
  • Form into teaspoon size balls and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet.
  • Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  • In a separate bowl, melt candy melts according to the package.
  • Using a fork, dip cake balls into the melted chocolate and place on a cookie sheet.
  • Cut a tootsie roll in half and place on top of the cake ball in the middle.

I chose to use a Funfetti cake mix with Halloween sprinkles for my cake bites but you can make them with any cake mix you’d like. I think a pumpkin flavored cake mix would be fantastic in this recipe.

Orange Ginger Pumpkin Cake {Recipe}

Pumpkin is my favorite Fall flavor so I’m excited to share this recipe for Orange Ginger Pumpkin Cake created by the founder of the Matt’s Pantry iPad App, Private Chef Matthew Shields. He says this cake is perfect for Thanksgiving and I agree. Enjoy! :)

Orange Ginger Pumpkin Cake

Cake:

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, one separated

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 tablespoon grated ginger

¾ cup all purpose flour

¼  cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

couple pinches of salt

Syrup:

Juice of one large orange

¼ cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Butter or spray with cooking spray a baking pan and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the whole egg and the yolk one at a time, beating well and scraping the sides of the bowl.  Beat in the pumpkin, orange zest, and ginger.

Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt.  Add to the pumpkin batter in three or four stages, blending thoroughly after each.  In a small bowl whip the egg white until they hold soft peaks.  Fold into batter, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes.  Allow to cool for at least ten minutes.

For the syrup, combine the orange juice and sugar in a small sauce pan over low heat until the sugar dissolves and then increase the heat bringing to a boil.  Boil with out stirring for 1 minute.  Allow to cool.