Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

The only thing spooky about this rich cake is how eerily good it tastes.

Published: Oct 20, 2012

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Charles Schiller

Yields:

18 serving(s)

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 10 mins

Cal/Serv:

347

Have your cake and cupcakes, too: One recipe yields this chocolatey pumpkin spice triple-layer cake, or 36 cupcakes.

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Ingredients

18 Tbsp. (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for cake pans
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons good-quality cocoa
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. fresh-grated nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting

Directions

1. Step 1Prepare cake pans: Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter three 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with an 8-inch circle of parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Step 2Make the batter: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.
3. Step 3Bake the cake: Divide the batter among the pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean — about 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove cakes and cool. (For cupcakes: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in standard cupcake tins and fill each with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 22 minutes.)
4. Step 4Make Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting.
5. Step 5Assemble the cake: Trim each of the layers. Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one third of the frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. (To ensure that the cake layers do not shift, cut three skewers to 1/4 inch shorter than the full height of the cake and insert them before icing the top layer.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tip: Start with chilled frosting and ice the layers to 1/2 inch from the edge to prevent too much dripping.

For the perfect slice of cake: Chilling the cake allows you to cut a cleaner slice. It's best to slice the cake using a long, thin, sharp knife and wipe the blade clean between cuts. Let cake slices come to room temperature to enjoy the best flavor and texture.

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