Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Every year, I have two responsibilities for Thanksgiving: make Bloody Mary’s as everyone arrives and show up with a dessert that is chocolate and/or pumpkin.

This year, I decided to make a dessert that is both pumpkin-y and chocolatey: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake!

This recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is adapted from a Country Living recipe, and uses my cinnamon cream cheese frosting from my Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes recipe.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• ¾ cup low fat buttermilk
• 1 (15 oz can) pumpkin purée
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (2.25 sticks), at room temperature
• 1½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1½ cup granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 (8 oz) packages of Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 (16 oz) packages powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Optional Chocolate Frosting:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Before beginning, prepare your cake pans. Lightly butter three 9-inch cake pans. Trace the bottoms of the cake pans and cut out parchment paper to fit inside each cake pan. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice in a bowl, whisking to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.

Add your butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add your eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing to combine. Follow with 1/2 of the pumpkin mixture, mixing to combine. Follow with another 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the pumpkin, and then the final 1/3 of the flour, mixing to combine after each addition.

Divide the batter among the three prepared pans and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans for 20 minutes. Remove cakes after 20 minutes and let cool completely on a rack. (Note: because of the parchment paper, they should all release really easily.

It is very important that you let the cake pieces cool completely before frosting them. If not, it will slide all over the place!

When ready to make the frosting, add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a large bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing to combine.

To assemble the cake, add one layer to a cake plate. Evenly top with ~1/4 of the cream cheese frosting. Add the second later of cake and top with an additional 1/4 of the frosting. Repeat with the remaining layer. Use the remaining 1/4 of the frosting to frost the sides of the cake.

If desired, you can also make chocolate buttercream frosting to add some decoration. Add the cocoa and butter to a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and the milk. Add a bit more milk if too dry and add a bit more sugar if too wet. Add the vanilla extra and mix to combine.

Add to a pastry bag fitted with an open start tip and pipe onto the cake as you desire. (I used OXO’s decorating tool to make this easier.)

Slice and serve.

This Chocolate Pumpkin Cake serves 18 (!), so it’s perfect for Thanksgiving.

The pumpkin keeps the cake super moist, so you can make it ahead of time.

And y’ou really can’t go wrong with cinnamon cream cheese frosting!

Print

Yum

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 18 servings

Ingredients

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake:
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1½ tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• ¾ cup low fat buttermilk
• 1 (15 oz can) pumpkin purée
• 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (2.25 sticks), at room temperature
• 1½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1½ cup granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 2 (8 oz) packages of Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 (16 oz) packages powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Optional Chocolate Frosting:
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Before beginning, prepare your cake pans. Lightly butter three 9-inch cake pans. Trace the bottoms of the cake pans and cut out parchment paper to fit inside each cake pan. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice in a bowl, whisking to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.
4. Add your butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
5. Add your eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing to combine. Follow with 1/2 of the pumpkin mixture, mixing to combine. Follow with another 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the pumpkin, and then the final 1/3 of the flour, mixing to combine after each addition.
7. Divide the batter among the three prepared pans and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
8. Cool the cakes in their pans for 20 minutes. Remove cakes after 20 minutes and let cool completely on a rack. (Note: because of the parchment paper, they should all release really easily.
9. It is very important that you let the cake pieces cool completely before frosting them. If not, it will slide all over the place!
10. When ready to make the frosting, add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a large bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing to combine.
11. To assemble the cake, add one layer to a cake plate. Evenly top with ~1/4 of the cream cheese frosting. Add the second later of cake and top with an additional 1/4 of the frosting. Repeat with the remaining layer. Use the remaining 1/4 of the frosting to frost the sides of the cake.
12. If desired, you can also make chocolate buttercream frosting to add some decoration. Add the cocoa and butter to a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and the milk. Add a bit more milk if too dry and add a bit more sugar if too wet. Add the vanilla extra and mix to combine.
13. Add to a pastry bag fitted with an open start tip and pipe onto the cake as you desire. Slice and serve.

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