Pumpkin And 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 S'MORES LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and pulse until well combined.
• Beat the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the pumpkin puree (the batter will look curdled). Beat in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then the remaining flour mixture. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Tap the bottoms of the pans against the counter to release any air bubbles.
• Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then loosen the edges with a knife and invert the cakes onto the rack; discard the parchment and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Microwave the chocolate, marshmallows, cocoa powder and 1/3 cup heavy cream in a bowl in 30-second intervals, whisking occasionally, until melted and completely smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.
• Whisk the remaining 2/3 cup heavy cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate-marshmallow mixture, then gently fold in the rest with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and cook, whisking, until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan. Add the vanilla to the bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is cool and stiff glossy peaks form, about 12 minutes (or transfer to a stand mixer and beat 6 to 8 minutes).
• Assemble the cake: Using a long serrated knife, split each cake in half horizontally to make 4 layers total. Place 1 layer on a cake stand or plate. Transfer 1 cup meringue to a large resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe a ring of meringue on the perimeter of the cake layer (the meringue will keep the filling from oozing out). Spread one-third of the chocolate filling inside the ring. Repeat with 2 more cake layers, then top with the final layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining meringue, using the back of a spoon to make peaks. Brown the frosting with a kitchen torch. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour before serving.

GANACHE-TOPPED PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper., In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in pumpkin. In another bowl, whisk flour, pie spice, baking powder and salt; fold into egg mixture. Transfer to prepared pans, spreading evenly., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; remove paper. Cool completely. , For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. In another large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until blended; fold in whipped cream. Spread between cake layers. Refrigerate at least 1 hour., Place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth; cool slightly. Press plastic wrap onto surface of ganache; cool to room temperature. Spread over cake. Refrigerate until serving.

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.