Coffin Pumpkin Cake

By SweetyBakes

The maple flavoring in the frosting makes this spooky cake taste delicious! And the gingersnap crumbs make the “coffin” look like a pine box…to suit the season perfectly

Ingredients

• FROSTING/FILLING:
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons maple flavoring
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 40 cookies)

Details

Adapted from tasteofhome.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, ginger and cloves; add to pumpkin mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Line a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; spread batter into pan. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and enough maple flavoring to achieve a spreading consistency. For filling, in a small bowl, beat 1 cup frosting with whipping cream until soft peaks form.
Cut cake into a coffin shape (discard scraps or save for another use). Cut cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with filling. Top with second layer.
Set aside 2 tablespoons frosting for writing; frost cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Cut a small hole in the corner of a plastic bag; fill with reserved frosting. Pipe "RIP" onto cake. Store in the refrigerator.