Pumpkin Football Cakes

Need a tailgating recipe? Hosting guests for the big game? Just craving a cake recipe? This adorable mini cake recipe gets its football look from simple frosting piping and fall flavor from canned pumpkin.

Ingredients

CAKE:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

FROSTING:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease twelve 5-ounce egg-shaped muffin cups; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. In a large bowl combine eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, one-third at a time, stirring just until combined after each addition. Spoon a scant 1/4 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling each about half full*.
3. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack. Split cakes horizontally. If necessary, trim tops of cakes so they will sit flat when inverted.
4. For Buttercream Frosting, in a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in enough of the remaining powder sugar to reach desired consistency.
5. Spread frosting over one cake half; top with remainig half. Pipe "laces" on top. Repeat with remaining cakes. Makes 12 cakes.
6. *Use any remaining batter to make cupcakes. Line 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Fill two-thirds full with batter. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts (Pumpkin Football Cakes)
Per serving: 287 kcal cal., 9 g fat (3 g sat. fat, 3 g polyunsaturated fat, 2 g monounsatured fat), 50 mg chol., 259 mg sodium, 50 g carb., 1 g fiber, 38 g sugar, 3 g pro. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet