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Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

This cake is inspired by popular Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. I’m going to show you step by step how to make this fabulous Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake.

Giant cupcake cake on a cake stand.

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Updated post from 2016

HOW TO MAKE STARBUCKS PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE CAKE

Cut Giant Cupcake Cake on a cake stand.

GIANT CUPCAKE SILICONE MOLD

I bought a giant cupcake silicone mold pans few years ago but never got a chance to bake with it. So today my friends I’m finally going to use it. I used the pan to make chocolate shell and I also baked my pumpkin spice cakes in it.

WHITE CHOCOLATE SHELL

Let’s start with a chocolate shell. It’s super simple to make. First melt the white chocolate melting disks. Spread a layer of white chocolate on the sides and bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Spreading chocolate into a giant cupcake mold.

Then repeat the step 1 one more time. Especially concentrate on thickening the sides of the chocolate shell. Clean up the top edge with a spatula or a knife. Let the chocolate set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Spreading white chocolate with a spatula into a silicone cupcake mold.

Carefully pull the silicone mold apart at the top. Then pull it down to release the chocolate shell. While assembling the cake I kept the chocolate shell in the mold to protect it from getting stained by coffee syrup or filling.

Unmolding chocolate shell from a giant cupcake mold.

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE

Let’s talk pumpkin spice cake. I used delicious and super easy to make Pumpkin Spice Cake. This recipe uses oil instead of butter. If you prefer all butter recipe use my Butter Pumpkin Pound Cake Recipe instead. I also flavored the cake with instant espresso powder. And to double up on coffee flavor I soaked each cake layer with simple coffee syrup.

BAKE THE CAKE

Generously brush the cake with soft butter and dust both pans with flour. Shake off excess flour. Or use a nonstick spray. Also for even baking place a greased flower nail in the center of a taller baking pan. Place silicone baking pans onto a baking sheet for support.

Buttered and floured giant cupcake pan with a heating core in the center.

Prepare pumpkin spice cake batter (recipe in the recipe card). Fill the pans with pumpkin spice coffee cake batter and bake them until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Smaller cake bakes faster so be sure remove it from the oven sooner. Check the smaller cake at 40 minute mark. Also, if your cakes are browning too much cover them loosely with a foil dome sprayed with a nonstick spray.

One baked let the cakes cool in the mold for 30-60 minutes. Then pull the mold apart with your fingers to loosen the edges. Invert cakes onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Unmolding baked cakes.

TRIM THE CAKE

Trim the cake an tort the bottom layer into 3 cake layers.

Trimming sides and bottom of the cake with serrated knife.

FILL THE CAKE

Prepare delicious cream cheese filling and simple coffee sugar syrup. Brush each cake layer generously with coffee sugar syrup. Spread about 1 cup of filling on the bottom and sides of the chocolate shell. Then layer cakes into the chocolate shell, alternating with a cream cheese filling.

Layering coffee soaked cakes and filling into a chocolate cupcake shell.

Lastly, if needed trim the top of the last cake layer to make a better fit for the top (cupcake swirl) part. Brush the cake generously with coffee syrup.

Trimming top of the cake with serrated knife.

Crumb-coat the top layer to seal in any crumbs.

Crumb-coating cake with a cake filling.

STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM

To decorate the top swirl part of the giant cupcake cake I used Stabilized Whipped Cream. Prepare stabilized whipped cream. Fit a large piping bag with a Piping Tip # 8B and fill it with stabilized whipped cream.

Pipe whipped cream onto the top cake. Starting at the bottom and going all around and up. Then measure about 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon into a fine mesh sieve. Generously dust whipped cream swirl with cinnamon. Place the cake into the fridge until you are ready to add final touches.

Piping whipped cream onto the cake and dusting it with ground cinnamon.

EDIBLE FROSTING SHEET DECORATION

You can either draw the Starbucks Logo on a frosting sheet with an edible marker or take an easy route and print it on a frosting sheet. My image is 1.75 inches across. Cut it out with scissors. Don’t remove the backing layer yet.

Cutting out image from a frosting sheet.

I made a Small batch of Marshmallow Fondant. Roll it out and cut out a round that is about the same size as frosting sheet image. Dampen small fondant round with little bit of water. Brush it on with a food only paint brush.

Then carefully remove image from the frosting sheet backing paper. I used a small palette knife and loosened the edges first. Carefully place frosting sheet image onto the fondant round.

To glue decoration onto a chocolate shell spread some left over melted white chocolate on the back of the fondant round and glue it onto the chocolate.

I chilled my cake while I prepared decorations so white shell was cold and chocolate on the fondant set pretty much as soon as I gently pressed it onto the shell. Hold the decoration in place for several seconds.

Gluing frosting sheet onto fondant and onto a cake.

STARBUCKS GREEN STRAW

Color small amount (1/4 cup) of fondant with green food gel coloring. To speed up the drying process you can also knead in little amount of tylose (1/4tsp) powder. Roll it out. Brush the fondant with damp food only paint brush. Then wrap it around a drinking straw. Trim the excess. And let it dry for couple of hours.

Shaping green straw from fondant.

With a drinking straw make a hole in the cake. Then insert a giant green fondant drinking straw into the cake. If you see the drinking straw inside of the green fondant is too close to the top edge push it little further down with another drinking straw.

Making a hole in the cake with a drinking straw and inserting green fondant drinking straw into the cake.
Details of green drinking straw inserted into a cake.

Do you feel inspired by this cake ? Try my Peppermint Mocha Starbucks Cakes.

Detail of frosting sheet image glued on a cake.

TO MAKE STARBUCKS PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE CAKE YOU NEED

MORE AMAZING FALL INSPIRED TREATS :

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5 from 2 votes

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

Perfect cake for a Starbucks Fan, birthday celebration or just because.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword birthday cake, pumpkin spice cake, starbucks cake
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling/Chilling 3 hours
Servings 12
Author Hani Bacova

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Cake

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp freshly zested nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 to 2 tbl instant espresso powder (use 2 tbsp for stronger coffee flavor)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 whole eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 15 oz canned pumpkin puree

Coffee Sugar Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp instant espresso powder

Whipped Cream Cheese Filling / Frosting

  • 1 pkg cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 cup whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • 2 cup whipping cream
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp granulated gelatin
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Topping

  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Small Batch Marshmallow Fondant

  • 4 oz mini marshmallows (115grams)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (sift if sugar has lumps)
  • 1/2 tbsp water
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp crisco shortening

Instructions

Pumpkin Spice Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Prepare giant cupcake baking pans. Spray them generously with a non-stick spray. Or butter and flour both pans. To ensure even baking of the bottom cake layer (taller pan) place a greased flower nail in the center. It acts as heating core.
  • In a large bowl sift together flour (3cups), cinnamon (1tsp and 1/2tsp), ginger (1/4tsp), freshly zested nutmeg (1/2tsp), cloves(1/4tsp), baking powder (1tsp), baking soda (1tsp), salt(1tsp) and instant espresso powder ( 1 to 2tbsp, use 2tbsp if you like stronger coffee flavor). Set aside.
  • In a large bowl combine granulated sugar (2cups) and brown sugar (1cup).
  • Into the sugar beat eggs (3eggs at room temperature. Beat in one egg at a time. Beat until creamy and pale in color, 5 minutes or so. Beat in oil (1cup). Then beat in Vanilla Extract (2tsp)
  • On low speed, beat in flour mixture alternating with pumpkin puree (15oz).
  • Give the cake batter a last stir with a spatula and divide between the 2 prepared cake pan.
  • Make sure to place the baking pans on a flat baking sheet, for easier handling. Silicone molds are flexible and handling them too much can be difficult especially when they are filled with the cake batter.
  • Bake in the preheat oven at 350F for an 50 -60 minutes. Check the smaller pan at 40 minute mark. If done remove from the oven. Continue baking large pan until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover cake loosely with a foil sprayed with a nonstick spray to prevent over-browning
  • Once baked, let them cool on the pan for 30 minutes, then loosen the edges of the mold by gently pulling them apart. Unmold the cakes and let them cool completely.

Coffee Sugar Syrup

  • Boil the sugar (2/3cup) and water (1cup), until sugar is dissolved, boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in instant espresso powder (1tbsp). Let cool.

Whipped Cream Cheese Filling / Frosting

  • Beat cream cheese with a wire beaters (1pkg, 8oz) until creamy, 30 seconds. Then gradually in 4 additions add whipping cream (2cups), beating well until combined. Then beat in powdered sugar (3/4 cup to 1 cup) and Vanilla extract (1tsp), until stiff peaks are formed.
  • Fill the cake and crumb-coat the top cake later.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • Stir gelatin (2tsp) and cold water (3tbsp). Let bloom for 5 minutes. Then microwave for 8 seconds until gelatin is completely dissolved and no longer grainy when mixture is rubbed between fingers. Let cool to room temperature, stirring frequently.
  • In a clean bowl beat chilled heavy cream (2cups) until soft peaks are formed. Gradually beating on high speed pour in dissolved and cooled gelatin. Then beat in powdered sugar (2/3cup) and Vanilla Extract (1tsp).
  • Fit the piping bag with a large star tip. Fill it with stabilized whipped cream and decorate the cake.
  • Refrigerate cake for 4 hours before serving.

Small Batch Marshmallow Fondant

  • Measure 2 cups powdered sugar into a medium size bowl. Sift sugar if it appears too lumpy.
    Grease a small glass, microwave safe bowl with 1/4 tbsp of crisco. Coat a wooden spoon with little bit of crisco. Set aside.
    Measure mini marshmallows (4oz, 115 grams) into the greased bowl. Pour 1/2 tbsp water into the bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second. At this point marshmallows should be melted. Stir with wooden spoon. Stir in vanilla extract (1/4tsp).
    Pour mixture into a bowl with powdered sugar. Stir with wooden spoon until most of the melted marshmallows are coated with sugar and mixture is starting to resemble dough.
    Coat your hands with remaining crisco and knead fondant until smooth and stretchable. Coat it with little bit of crisco. Wrap in a food wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. It firms up when rested.
    When rolling out fondant dust work surface with corn starch.
    Color with gel food colors.

Notes

Do you have other Pumpkin Cake Recipes I could use ?
Pumpkin Pound Cake Recipe with Butter
Pumpkin Sponge Cake Recipe
Can I make this cake ahead of time ?
Cake can be made up to 3 days ahead, stored in the refrigerator.
Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy.
What do you use to zest whole nutmeg?
I use a fine zester tool. It works great. Freshly zested nutmeg has much for flavor. However if ground is all you have use it instead.

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Giant cupcake cake on a cake stand.

This post was originally published on September 12th, 2016. I updated this post on September 3rd, 2019 with new step by step photos, written text and a video.

This post containsThis post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.

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9 Comments

  1. I love this!! Definitely trying . Quick question , after decorating is there any issue getting the cake out of the silicone mold? Thanks ! Happy to have found your lovely blog 😀

    1. Hi Lorraine,
      I didn’t have any issues. You can also take it out of the mold before attaching the top “swirl” section or if you are confident you are not going to get crumbs on it while layering cake and the filling leave it out of the mold.
      Place the mold with filled chocolate shell on a raised surface approximately same width as the mold and gently pull down the silicone. I’m not sure if I had mentioned that in directions, in case I forgot, when you are done coating the mold with chocolate make sure to release the chocolate mold and then place it back in the silicone. Hope than makes sense. Keep me posted how it goes. Thank you. Hani

    1. Hi Monica

      I used white candy melts to make the chocolate shell. You can see it in the video. I coated the silicone mold twice. Letting it set before adding the second layer of chocolate. This was done to make sure the shell is thick and sturdy. Hope it helps.

  2. Very nice design and creative. Thank you for sharing. I’m wondering what kind of liquid do you brush on it before you put the whipped cream? And why? Thank you for your time:)

    1. Hi Gloria,
      Thank you. It’s simple syrup.It’s often use to keep the cake moist. I also used to add some extra coffee flavor in there. Thank you.
      Coffee Sugar Syrup
      1cup water
      1/2 cup sugar
      2tbl espresso powder

      Boil the sugar and water, until sugar is dissolved, boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add coffee, stir, let cool.

  3. Thanks for sharing your recipe. ..will need to make it. ..question for the expresso coffee, can it be added to cake batter without diluting in hot water first. ..thanks

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