Cinnamon Glazed Mini Pumpkin Cakes
These mini pumpkin cakes are a cute alternative to slices from a large bundt. They have a finger-licking frosting and a dense spiced crumb.
Servings 12 mini cakes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons shortening softened, for greasing the pans
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour for sprinkling the pan
Pumpkin cakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice see Notes below
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree at room temperature. Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree.
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons milk at room temperature
Cinnamon glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon plus extra to sprinkle before serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease 12-mini Bundt cake pans with 2 tablespoons shortening and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, shaking off excess. Reserve.
For the small cakes:
- Sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Reserve.
- Beat ¾ cup white sugar, 6 tablespoons brown sugar and ⅔ cup vegetable oil until smooth and well combined in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 3 large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add ¾ cup pumpkin puree, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons milk, and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture in 2 parts, beating on low speed *just* until integrated. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the cakes tough.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans, filling each ¾ of their capacity.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean.
- Allow the pan to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then carefully remove them onto the wire rack to cool completely.
For the simple glaze:
- Stir 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon until smooth. It should have the consistency of thick honey.
- Drizzle over the tops of the cooled cakes, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon (optional) before it dries.
Notes
Spices: I use my homemade pumpkin spice mix, but you can use a mix of individual spices. I suggest 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice and a pinch of ground cloves (optional).
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
