Pumpkin Shaped Mini Chocolate Pumpkin Cakes

Which came first, the pumpkin or the pan? Well, truthfully, the pan. I saw this Wilton Dimensions mini pumpkin pan, and with my pumpkin obsession, knew I had to have it. Once I had it, though, I had to decide what type of cakes to bake in it.

Pumpkin cake sounded like a natural choice but a lot of the recipe suggestions were for chocolate cakes. In the end, I decided to combine both and the result was scrumptious. This cake is moist, flavorful and absolutely addictive. And it's shape...is just the icing on the cake, as it were. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Cup sugar
1 Stick unsalted butter
1/2 Cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 Egg
1/2 Cup buttermilk
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon cinnamon

Additional Ingredients
1/2 Cup vanilla frosting (I used store bought)
1 - 2 Tablespoons milk
Food Coloring (orange and green)
Marzipan

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles course crumbs. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the egg mixture into the flour mixture and blend until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into a pan or pans that have been greased with some non-stick cooking spray and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. This recipe will make one whole cake or 8 mini cakes/cupcakes.

If you're making the mini pumpkins, allow the cakes to cool completely before turning them out of the pan. You may need to slice a bit off the top and bottom cakes to give them even edges. Using a bit of frosting as a glue, please the "top" cake over the "bottom" cake.

In a small bowl, combine the frosting with the milk and a touch of orange food coloring. Mix until the frosting has a slightly runny consistency. Spoon the frosting over each pumpkin cake and allow it to drizzle down the sides.

To make the vines, mix a bit of green food color in with a handful of marzipan, roll out into a thin log shape and drape over your pumpkin cakes.