Decorated Pumpkin Cupcakes

By cindygwest

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 oz.) spicer or devils food cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 can (16 oz.) vanilla or chocolate frosting
• Orange paste food coloring
• Honey wheat pretzel twists, Kit Kat bars or Twix bars for stems
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• Assorted colored sugars or sprinkles

Preparation

Step 1

Cake: Heat oven to 350 degreees. Grease and flour two 12-cup mini Bundt cupcake pans (2 1/2 inches across top;). Prepare cake mix according to package directions with eggs and oil, but using buttermilk in place of water. Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling halfway full (about 2 T. batter in each). *Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack; cool in pans for 5 minutes. Invert and cool completely. Use a small knife to trim domed top from each cake to make level. *Tint vanilla frosting orange, if desired. Spread a small amount of frosting on top of trimmed side of a cake. Place another trimmed cake, cut-side down, on top of frosting to make a small pumpkin shape. Repeat to make 12 mini cakes. *Decorate: For frosted cakes, spread some of the frosting all over a mini cake to cover. Use a small spatula to spread frosting in ridges, starting from bottom to top.
Add a trimmed candy bar piece on top as the stem. *For sugared cakes, microwave corn syrup for 3 to 5 seconds. Brush over an assembled cake, then roll cake in colored sugar to coat lightly. Add a candy or pretzel stem on top. *For glazed cakes, microwave 1/4 cup of the frosting for 5 to 7 seconds until smooth but not too thin. Spoon on a little on top of a mini cake, allowing it to drip down the side. Add sprinkles while frosting is still wet. Add a trimmed candy or pretzel piece on top as stem.