My mini pumpkin patch cake captures all the classic flavors of Fall, with its warm spices, pumpkin flavor, and cream cheese frosting. I wanted to put a little twist on it, and added some chocolate chips to the cake, and cocoa powder to the frosting to create a pumpkin chocolate chip cake with cocoa cream cheese frosting. You can even multiply the recipe and make single serving individual cakes for all of your guests or family to enjoy! A great Thanksgiving dessert alternative for those not too fond of pumpkin pie.
This recipe is really simple. Just add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, fold in some chocolate chips, bake, decorate, and enjoy!
Prepare batter.
Bake.
Frost.
Decorate your cake with festive Autumn leaf sprinkles and your gumdrop pumpkins (scroll down for the gumdrop pumpkin "how-to").
Enjoy!
Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake with Cocoa Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield: 1 mini cake
Ingredients
Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake:
- 4 tablespoons (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons canned pumpkin (100% pumpkin puree, NOT canned pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 large egg yolk*
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional (or pecans, walnuts, etc.)
*may use store bought egg substitute equivalent to 1/2 of a large egg or an extra tablespoon of pumpkin puree. If doubling recipe to make 2 mini cakes, use 1 whole large egg.
Cocoa Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions
Prepare Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F**. Spray an oven safe, 7-8oz. ramekin (mine was 3 1/4" wide and 2" tall) or a large mug, with non-stick spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate small dish, combine sugar, pumpkin, egg, oil and vanilla. Gently mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combine. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared ramekin.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
**May bake in a toaster oven or 3-4 minutes on 50% power in a microwave oven. Note: All microwaves vary and depending on the wattage of your microwave, your bread might take shorter or longer to cook, so keep an eye on it! Over cooking will result in a dry sponge like bread. Bread should bake in a total of 3 minutes at 50% power in a 1000 Watt microwave and about 4 minutes in a lower watt microwave.
Prepare Frosting:
With an electric mixer, beat all ingredients on low speed until incorporated. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
Frost top and sides of cooled cake and top with festive sprinkles and gumdrop pumpkins.
Gumdrop Pumpkins
To make gumdrop pumpkins, simply use orange gumdrops for the pumpkin and roll out green gumdrops into leaves, stems and vines.
