<a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/kale-quinoa-0502.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-463" title="pumpkin cake" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/kale-quinoa-0502.jpg" alt="pumpkin shaped cake" width="377" height="500" /></a>

Inspired by the season, I decided to make a pumpkin cake for my Aunt Kathi's birthday -- nevermind that it feeds about 30 people, and their were only 5 of us eating it.

It was actually simpler to make than I thought.  I started by baking and cooling 2 <a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/18-pumpkin-bundt-cake">vegan pumpkin bundt cakes</a>.  Note that you can take this vegan/ gluten free recipe and make several substitutions.  Use AP flour instead of barley, brown sugar instead of date etc.  It won't be gluten free, but you can use whatever you have on hand.  This pumpkin shaped cake is also no longer vegan given the copious quantity of butter used to frost it, but it's damn good anyway. The recipe is very forgiving and can be easily multiplied as well.  I modeled my assembly after this<a href="http://www.hurryupcakes.com/shaped-cakes/food-shaped-cakes/pumpkin-shaped-cake"> idea</a>.  But, I didn't use a cake in the middle, and I ended up slicing the bundt cakes in half and filling them with cream cheese frosting.  I used 2 skewers for extra stability.  Next, I froze it and frosted it with bright orange buttercream - I always use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flour-Spectacular-Recipes-Bostons-Bakery/dp/081186944X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1296498718&amp;sr=1-1">Joanne's recipe </a>for buttercream. I made the fondant decorations a few days ahead of time so that they would be sufficiently dried by the time I needed them.  Don't freeze the decorations.  Put them on the cake once it is defrosted -- otherwise, the dye might run all over your cake. Ordinarily, I hate to use fondant because it doesn't taste very good, but it's ok to use them in situations where you will be removing the decoration before eating.

Lots of fun to make and more fun to eat.