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Mini Pumpkin Layer Cakes for Two

11.23.13

Mini-Pumpkin-Cakes

I can’t believe I’ve been away from blogging for almost 2 weeks! This is my favorite time of year to bake, but commuting back and forth from Dallas to Amarillo for work has kept me away from my oven. Not that I’m complaining at all. As a musician, any work is always welcome, and I’ve had so much fun playing with the Amarillo Symphony this week. I just wish this hotel room had an oven, because I’m dying to make a cake right now.

I did, however, manage to sneak in some baking before I left for my trip. And yes, it’s another pumpkin recipe. Another pumpkin cake recipe to boot. That’s what happens when you’re a procrastinator like me and you save all of your fall recipes until the last minute.

Mini Pumpkin Layer Cakes

While I have been lucky enough to spend the last few Thanksgivings with my fiancé and his family, this recipe was inspired by the many Thanksgivings I have celebrated on a much smaller scale. Some of my favorite Thanksgivings have been those that were spent with a roommate or a close friend or two, and these mini pumpkin cakes fit just that kind of an occasion.

Mini-Pumpkin-Cakes

This recipe makes a small batch- just 2 tiny cakes! I suppose I could have just made cupcakes, but layer cakes just have a better cake to frosting ratio. Plus, they’re cuter.

You may remember this recipe that I posted over at Best Friends for Frosting last year. These mini cakes are also baked in cans. I found some cans of organic pumpkin in BPA free liners, so I used those, but if you don’t want to bake these in cans, you can use a 4-inch cake pan. You may need to adjust the baking time if you do that.

Mini-Pumpkin-Cakes

To be honest, frosting these tiny cakes proved to be a bit cumbersome, so I left one without frosting on the outside just to show that they can look cute either way. I used 3 1/2 inch cake boards underneath, but if you don’t frost the outside, they really aren’t necessary. The frosting recipe makes enough to crumb coat and frost each cake with some left over for piping, but if you don’t plan to frost the outside, you can cut frosting the recipe in half.

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39 Comments · Cake, Holiday, Mini Desserts

Individual No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes

08.08.13

Strawberry Cheesecake

It’s 105 degrees today in Dallas. I know it’s cliché, but the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven, and I’m about to add another no bake dessert to the vast expanse of summer recipes on the internet. Plus, I love these mini pie pans, and have been looking for excuses to use them more often.

The good news about this recipe is that it’s easy to make, super quick, and extremely delicious. My fiancé, who is fussy about desserts, devoured these and has been asking for more. The bad news? Well, I can’t think of anything bad about strawberry cheesecake, can you?

Strawberries

If you can, I would recommend using organic strawberries since they’re the main ingredient in this dessert. Better strawberries=better cheesecake.

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26 Comments · Mini Desserts, Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Trifles

02.16.13

Are you tired of miniature desserts in shot glasses? If so, you’re probably not going to like this post, because I’m bringing you another one. These 2.5 oz shot glasses were the perfect sized container for a rich dessert. Just large enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, but not so large that it sends you into hyperglycemic shock. Plus, I just really love miniature desserts.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Trifles _

Sometimes, I really crave peanut butter. I’m guilty of spooning it into my mouth straight from the jar, and I had been dreaming about peanut butter pudding for weeks before I actually made this. If you’ve never made your own pudding, it really is a revelation, and totally worth the effort. It’s a step up from the pre-packaged store bought stuff, but it’s no less comforting.

I paired the peanut butter pudding with chocolate because, well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I had been wanting to try Deb Perlman’s chocolate pudding recipe for a while. It’s less rich than my go to recipe, since it doesn’t contain egg yolks, and went really well with the peanut butter. But let’s be honest, is there ever a time when chocolate and peanut butter don’t go well together?

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9 Comments · Mini Desserts

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About Me

Welcome to the Cake Merchant! I’m Natasha, the cake maker behind this blog. Here, I share my favorite cakes, baking tips, dessert experiments, and the occasional picture of my dog... READ MORE

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