This cake is packed with rich decadent flavor and a super fun presentation! The magical combination of pumpkin and chocolate is intensified with the smooth, creamy textures in this perfect recipe!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

I have been wanting to make my Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes into a cake for a while but wanted to try something different.  So this cake was inspired by a Ho-Ho.  Or a Ding-Dong.  Whatever its called, it is cake and a whipped cream filling.

And this cake, well… all that beautiful whipped deliciousness up there… is Pumpkin Whipped Cream.

Want to know what it tastes like?  Light, airy, delectable pumpkin pie.  It’s pretty much the most awesome thing I have ever made.  I know I say that all the time but this time I mean it.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Whipped Cream and Chocolate Ganache

How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

I started by make my Chocolate Pumpkin Cake in 2 square cake pans.  As soon as those bad boys were in the oven I started making my favorite Ganache recipe. (below)

After the cakes were out of the oven and cooled, I placed one on my cake stand and one on a baking sheet.  I poured just enough ganache over each of them to cover the top of the cake, hardly letting any spill over. (You can have it spill over as much as you want!)

I then let them sit overnight.  (They were ready to assemble in about an hour, I was just tired!) The next day I made the Pumpkin Whipped Cream.  Place it in the fridge for about 15 minutes before assembling the cake.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Why Straws in this Cake?

I knew that my light and airy whipped cream was not going to stand the weight of a cake on top of it, so I took a plastic straw and cut it into 4 pieces.  I inserted those pieces near the four corners of the cake and then covered it in a thick layer of the whipped cream. (See how I did this here) This is for stability. Yes, it could be annoying to cut into a cake and have a straw there, but the cake will not stay sturdy without them. If you want to use an edible product, you could make some chocolate covered stick pretzels and use them in the same way.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Whipped Frosting

 

Trying to keep your fingers out of the ganache, carefully place the other square cake on top of the cake covered in whipped cream.  It should be sturdy.

I put the remainder of my Pumpkin Whipped Cream is a plastic disposable pastry bag with a 1M tip.  Just pipe out little clouds of pumpkin heaven and cover with sprinkles.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Recipe

I really can’t say enough good things about this cake.  It’s one of the best tasting cakes I have ever made.  The taste, the textures, the cake to whipped cream ratio… it just all works together perfectly.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Whipped Cream

BONUS:

Three tips for the PERFECT Layer Cake!

  1. Cold cake, room temperature frosting. Cake can be fragile, but having it chilled is a great way to assemble it without breaking. Room temperature frosting is easier to spread and will not pull at your cake.
  2. Prepare your pans correctly. You can use GOOP, or butter & flour, or lining them with parchment… but just make sure your cake comes out clean.
  3. Level cakes. Assembling a layer cake is easy… when your cakes are flat and level! You can use a leveler or a long serrated knife to create a level cake. (More tips here)
pumpkin-cake
4.56 from 9 votes

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
This Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is packed with rich decadent flavor and a super fun presentation!

Ingredients

Cake

  • cups (192g) all-purpose flour
  • cup (85g) unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (120g) buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 cup (225g) canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • ¾ cup butter, room temperature
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

Whipped Cream

  • cups (357g) heavy cream
  • 1 cup (225g) pumpkin puree
  • 2-3 cups (384g) confectioners' sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon all-spice

Ganache

  • 12 ounces bag milk chocolate chips
  • 6 ounces heavy cream
  • chocolate jimmies for garnish, optional

Instructions

Cake

  • Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8x8-inch square baking pans with butter & flour or GOOP or non-stick spray.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set Aside.
  • In a small bowl combine buttermilk and pumpkin. Whisk together until incorporated.
  • In a mixer, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
  • Alternatively add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
  • Mix for 1 minute on low until fully combined. Divide batter evenly between two prepared baking pans.
  • Bake for 18-26 minutes. The cake is done when an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean.

Whipped Cream

  • Add heavy cream to a stand mixer and whip on med to medium-high speed until soft peaks. (usually about 2-3 minutes)
  • While the cream is mixing place pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and all-spice in a bowl. Stir until combined.
  • Once the cream is at soft peak stage, add confectioners' sugar in 1 cup at a time. After one cup, turn off mixer. Gently fold in pumpkin puree mixture to cream. If the consistency is not firm enough, add more confectioners' sugar, about a ¼ cup at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Ganache

  • Bring heavy cream to a boil and remove from heat.
  • With chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl, pour cream over chips and slowly stir until all chips are melted.

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Meet Amanda Rettke

Amanda Rettke is the creator of I Am Baker, and the bestselling author of Surprise Inside Cakes: Amazing Cakes for Every Occasion – With a Little Something Extra Inside.Over the course of her 15+ year blogging adventure, she has been featured in and collaborated with the Food Network, New York Times, LA Times, Country Living Magazine, People Magazine, Epicurious, Brides, Romantic Homes, life:beautiful, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Mail, Star Tribune, The Globe and Mail, DailyCandy, YumSugar, The Knot, The Kitchn, and Parade, to name a few.

Reader Comments

  1. Waste of ingredients. The cake is ok. Very dense, not light and fluffy as stated and not a whole lot of flavor. The frosting will not set. I was a little concerned when it said to start with soft peaks. More surprised that you had to add so much pumpkin. I suggest leaving the pumpkin puree out of this frosting recipe. It makes it a wet mess that you will throw away unless you have about 3 bags of powdered sugar. Flavor the frosting with with pumpkin pie spice and vanilla or something, NOT pumpkin puree! Total fail. Not happy that I am running back to the store to figure something out to frost this cake with.

    1. I had this same problem too. I only did half the amounts so I’m happy I didn’t waste all that amount of stuff. With the cost of groceries nowadays it’s difficult throwing out food. Everything was great until I added the pumpkin puree. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to be a cup? Since I halved the recipe I only used 1/2 a cup. Tasty cake but so disappointed because i was looking forward to decorating it and it being presentable for our Thanksgiving meal.

  2. I’m a cake aficionado and this is the best cake I’ve ever tasted. The whipped cream squeezed out but that’s because I skipped using the straws. It was a bit messy but I will definitely will make it again.

  3. Omg…enough with the pop up ads. It’s completely ridiculous. I have to leave this site because I can’t even read the instructions.

    1. That is not the case, I have checked and checked and am never able to replicate your experience. If you don’t want ads on my website, I am happy to make it private and charge $59.99/month for you to access the tested and perfected recipes I share.

        1. You’re rude. And ignorant. And I am happy to block your IP from my website so you can stop harassing hard working women.

  4. The cake is amazing, with the ganache and Whipped cream. I’ve been making it since 2013. I’ve also made this cake but used other frosting and I always get compliments. I’ve also made it into cupcakes, round cake and a bundt cake. I’ve also put cheesecake between the layers and also put Fondant over it. It’s my go to chocolate cake.
    Yes. This Whipped cream is tasty but super soft. Even using the straws. Yesterday I added 8oz cream cheese and 1/4 cup Unsalted butter. It was a good combination. Still airy, but helped keep its shape longer.
    Thank you for the recipe.

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