Fall Cake

2 packages yellow cake mix
2 1/2 cups apple cider
1 cup butter, softened
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup chopped pecans, if desired
2 tubs Creamy vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
Pumpkin-shaped candies
Candy corn
Spearmint leaf-shaped gumdrop candies, sliced to desired thinness
1 can (6.4 ounces) Easy Flow green decorating icing

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease or spray with cooking spray one 9-inch and one 8-inch round pan. Beat 1 package cake mix, 1 1/4 cups of the apple cider, 1 stick (1/2 cup) of the butter, 3 of the eggs, 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of the nutmeg in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the ginger and 1/2 cup of the pecans. Pour into pans.

Bake 9-inch pan 29 to 34 minutes, 8-inch pan 33 to 38 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed above, using remaining cake mix, apple cider, butter, eggs, cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of the nutmeg. Stir in remaining ginger and pecans. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 21 to 26 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Stir 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg into each tub of frosting. Fill and frost cake layers with frosting, placing 9-inch layer on bottom. Remove paper baking cups from 9 cupcakes. Arrange 5 cupcakes upside down on top of cake (cut off thin layer from tops with serrated knife, if necessary, to make tops flat). Frost sides and tops. Center 3 cupcakes upside down on first layer of cupcakes; frost sides and tops. Place 1 cupcake upside down on top; frost.

Decorate cake with candies. Squeeze green decorating icing through drawing tip to make vines. Frost and decorate remaining cupcakes with candies, or wrap and freeze for another use.