Pumpkin Chocolate Layer Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE-PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little butter to grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Butter and flour the paper. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
• Using an electric mixer, cream 8 tablespoons butter and the granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in pumpkin purée. Mixture may look slightly curdled. Stir in flour mixture about half a cup at a time until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
• Divide batter into pans and bake in middle of oven until springy to the touch and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, run a knife around edges, invert onto racks and peel off paper. Let cakes cool completely.
• In a large bowl, blend remaining 12 tablespoons butter and confectioners' sugar together. Blend in chocolate and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add cream or milk by the tablespoon, blending well after each addition, until it reaches spreading consistency.
• Place one cake layer, smooth side up, on a platter. Ice top. Place second layer, smooth side down, on top; ice top and sides of cake.

PUMPKIN-CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and allspice together in a small bowl for the cake.
• Combine sugar, oil, and applesauce in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Add pumpkin and vanilla extract. Beat in eggs on medium speed, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour mixture gradually until combined; finish mixing with a rubber spatula.
• Pour batter into the prepared cake pans. Sprinkle chopped semisweet chocolate over the top of each. Swirl chocolate into the batter using a metal spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Loosen the sides, invert, remove parchment paper, and let cool on wire racks, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract for the filling in a mixing bowl. Beat using an electric mixer, increasing speed, until creamy. Remove 2/3 of the mixture and set aside. Add cocoa to remaining mixture; beat until creamy.
• Beat heavy cream in another bowl on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the white cream cheese mixture. Fold remaining 1/3 of whipped cream into the chocolate cream cheese mixture.
• Cut each cooled cake layer in half horizontally. Spread 1/2 of the white cream cheese mixture onto 1 layer of cake, to about 1/4-inch from the edge. Sprinkle 1/3 chopped semisweet chocolate over filling, gently pressing down with fingers. Add next layer; spread with chocolate cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of chopped semisweet chocolate; press down. Add third cake layer, spread with remaining white cream cheese. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate, pressing gently. Top with last layer.
• Place bittersweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add in powdered sugar and butter. Whisk until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake. Spread glaze evenly across the top and on the sides.

PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 6-inch round springform pans.
• Combine sugar, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves, and ginger into a separate bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in pumpkin until well blended. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake layer comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Cut rounded tops off of cooled cakes with a large, serrated bread knife so they are flat and even.
• Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Whip until there are absolutely no lumps; this may take up to 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Place 1 tier of cake onto a serving plate. Frost the top liberally; place second tier on top. Generously frost the entire cake. Stick almonds gently by the handful onto the sides of the cake.

PUMPKIN AND CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the bottom and sides of both.
• Set up two large mixing bowls so that the batter for both cakes can be prepared at the same time.
• For the pumpkin cake:.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
• In a large measuring cup, or a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, melted butter, pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla extract until all ingredients are well combined.
• Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and stir until no streaks of flour remain visible. Pour into a prepared pan.
• For the chocolate cake:.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Sift in cocoa powder and whisk to combine.
• In a large measuring cup, or a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, melted butter, pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla extract until all ingredients are well combined. Whisk in melted chocolate.
• Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and stir until no streaks of flour remain visible. Pour into a prepared pan.
• Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed. The baking time is the same for one cake as it is for two cakes in the oven at the same time.
• Turn cakes out of their pan and onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
• For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat at high speed until smooth, gradually adding the confectioners' sugar until a thick and spreadable consistency is reached. Additional confectioners sugar may need to be added to thicken frosting, especially if humidity is high in your area.
• To assemble the cake, slice both the pumpkin cake and the chocolate cake in half horizontally. Place a chocolate round on a cake stand or serving platter, spread with a thin layer of cream cheese icing, and place a pumpkin layer on top. Make sure to spread the frosting all the way to the edges of the cake rounds. Spread the pumpkin layer with frosting and repeat with remaining chocolate and pumpkin layers.
• Use remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.