Country Living Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs and oil for 3 minutes using a mixer on medium speed. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool, then frost with cream cheese frosting.

COUNTRY PUMPKIN CAKE

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with no-stick cooking spray.
• POUR boiling water over raisins in colander. Drain. Press lightly to remove excess water.
• BEAT melted shortening, sugar, pumpkin and eggs in large bowl on medium-high speed of electric mixer for 5 minutes. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt and cloves in medium bowl. Add to pumpkin mixture, 1 cup at a time, beating at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in raisins. Pour into prepared pan.
• BAKE 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan. Place cake, top side up, on wire rack. Cool completely. Place cake on serving plate.
• BEAT shortening and powdered sugar in small mixing bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Add vanilla and milk. Beat at high speed until smooth and frosting is desired spreading consistency. Frost top and side of cake. Press nuts onto sides and outside top edge of cake.

GLAZED CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Line the bottoms of two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly butter.
• Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
• Stir the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in thirds.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake until a tester, inserted into the center, comes out clean--about 35 mins (NOTE: if you're using nonstick cake pans, check around 25 mins as they cook faster).
• Cool layers completely before icing.
• Frosting:.
• Beat cream cheese using a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy.
• Add 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla and beat on slow speed until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream with 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and the food coloring on medium-high speed to soft peaks.
• Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
• Spread 1 cup frosting between the two layers and use the remaining frosting to ice the top and sides of the cake.
• Chill for 30 mins and proceed to the glaze.
• Glazing:.
• Place chopped bittersweet chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring heavy cream to a boil, pour it over the chocolate, and let sit for 3 minutes.
• Gently stir, using a whisk, until smooth.
• Let sit for 3-5 min, until the glaze thickens slightly.
• Pour the glaze onto the center of the frosted cake and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges of the cake, allowing some to spill over.

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE AND CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare cake pans: Heat oven to 350 degrees 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.
• Make 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.
• Bake 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.).
• Assemble 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.