Halloween Pumpkin Cake

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 350°F. Butter two half-size Bundt pans and one mini muffin pan, then set them aside.
2. Combine all cake ingredients in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on low speed, blend until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes. Drop about 2 tablespoons of batter into each of four mini muffin cups. Divide the remaining batter evenly between the two Bundt pans. Bake the mini muffins for 20 minutes. Continue baking the Bundt cakes for an additional 15 to 25 minutes (so 35 to 45 minutes total) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow all cakes to cool completely.
3. While the cakes cool, make the frosting.
4. In a large bowl, beat the shortening with an electric mixer on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add the butter and beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add half of the powdered sugar. Then mix in the milk and vanilla. Beat on low briefly. With the mixer still on low, add the rest of the powdered sugar. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. If the frosting seems too thick, add a little extra milk.
5. Set aside ¼ cup of frosting in one bowl for green and another ¼ cup in a separate bowl for black. Keep the remaining frosting white for now. Place one Bundt cake rounded side down on a cake board, and set a mini muffin in the center hole. Spread a layer of white frosting over the top of this cake. Place the second Bundt cake on top, rounded side up, and insert another mini muffin into its center. Frost only the center area with white frosting. Tint the remaining frosting orange. Cover the entire cake with orange frosting, using a small offset spatula if available. Ice one of the mini cupcakes with green frosting and place it on top of the cake. The fourth mini muffin is not used. Using a #5 piping tip, pipe green vines and a #352 tip for leaves. Use black frosting with a #5 tip to draw a jack-o'-lantern face.
6. Refrigerate the finished cake.