Butter Rum Pumpkins

I was craving some pumpkin or spice cake since it's fall and all and it's my favorite season.  I love the smell of the spices.  It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Then I mentioned my craving to my husband and he went, "Bleh!".  And then so did my roommate.  So I did the next best thing and made rum cakes in the shape of pumpkins!  I just knew my husband would not object to any recipe that would necessitate the purchase of rum. Which means many shout outs of "Where'd the rum go?!" randomly throughout the day.  *le sigh*

I got to use this pan I inherited from Peter's grandmother.  It's very awesome and one of the nicest pan I have ever owned.  Unfortunately it's also a pan that rarely gets used. 

I hate seeing it sitting unloved and unused in my cabinet.  Guess I just need to make more rum cakes!

I'm a big fan of cake doctoring.  It requires not having to measure flour or sugar which means less clean up for me.  I spill the flour and sugar almost every time  I bake.  Especially if I just swept the floor!

Peter helped me pick out a rum.  I wanted something we could drink later but add a lot of rumminess to my cakes.

I added in some Heath toffee chips because Peter went with me to the grocery store and decided that these would be a good addition to my cakes.  And I have to agree.  Toffee is buttery and chocolate is always good.

Does anybody else have trouble zesting?  I have tried everything and the skill escapes me.  It seems like all the aromatic oils just get flung up in the air too.  Kinda defeating the whole purpose of adding zest I think.

I'm loving my stand mixer!  Everything mixes together so quickly and smoothly.

The batter will be on the thick side.  And lumpy bumpy.

Be sure to grease and flour the pan very well.  I tried to get into all the nooks and crannies.

When it comes time to fill the pans, take a large ziplock bag and place it in a tall/large container and fold open. 

My measuring cup worked well for me.  I used a gallon sized Ziplock baggie I believe.

Zip it! Zip it real good!

Cut a hole in one of the corners and Voila!  Less mess and easier to dish equal portions of batter into each compartment.

I sort of forgot that I was adding in the toffee chips.  No biggie just stir them into the batter before baking.  I left some unchipped just in case I didn't like them.

Cheater cheater pumpkin eater!  I really didn't feel like getting my kitchen covered in powder sugar so I bought some pre-made icing.  I really like this flavor and love the convenience.

After the cakes are baked and cooled I took a serrated knife and evened out the bottoms.  I then frosted the bottom of one side of what will be the bottom half of my pumpkin.  If they're a little wobbly cut a small even slice from the 'top' of the bottom portion.

I like mixing my icing in a teacup.  I used multiple shades of orange to add some dimension to my cakes.

I initially planned on presenting them on some of my small fiestaware plates but ended up placing them on a cupcake liner.  It was interesting transfering them to the liners but if you let the icing crust up before transferring them it will be less messy. (but then you don't get to lick as much icing off your fingers).

Add half a licorice twist for a stem and add some sprinkles and icing accents.  Be creative!  These would be cute with Jack o' Lantern faces.  I see these little cakes all over the internet and family magazines every fall seasons so there is a lot of inspiring pictures to find if you need help decorating them. 

Butter Rum Pound Cake
adapted from Betty Crocker

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® butter recipe yellow cake mix
1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup dark rum
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
4 eggs
2 teaspoons dark rum
1/2 bag Health Toffee Chips
2 containers of Pillsbury Buttercream frosting
orange food coloring
black licorice Twizzlers

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a miniature fluted tube cake pans with shortening; lightly flour. or spray with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, yogurt, butter, 1/2 cup rum, the orange peel and eggs with electric mixer until just combined.  Gently stir in Heath toffee chips. Divide batter evenly among cake pans.

Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Tint frosting with orange food color or use 2 teaspoons yellow food color and 1 teaspoon red food color to make orange frosting.

Trim bottom of each cake to form flat surfaces. For each pumpkin cake, place 1 cake, rounded side down, on plate. Top with second cake, rounded side up. Frost entire cake with orange frosting, filling center with frosting.

Insert licorice into each cake for stem.  Decorate as desired.