You know that weird in-between weather when you’re craving something warm and cozy, but you also want chocolate? Yeah… this cake’s the answer. It’s got that soft pumpkin vibe, a hint of spice, and, oh man, the ganache? It’s like a chocolate hug for your taste buds. Perfect for fall… or literally any random Tuesday when you want dessert without a whole production.

Recipe Card

Servings: 8–10 slices
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30–35 mins
Total time: ~50 mins

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ teaspoons pumpkin spice
• ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup buttermilk (or ⅓ cup milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar, let sit 5 mins)
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the ganache:

• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or dark if you want extra rich vibes)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan.
2. Mix dry stuff: In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt.
3. Mix wet stuff: In another bowl, whisk sugars, egg, pumpkin puree, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth.
4. Combine: Add dry ingredients into wet, stir gently (don’t overmix—just till combined). Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Bake: Pour into the pan, smooth top, and bake 30–35 mins, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs are fine). Cool completely.
6. Make ganache: Heat cream until just simmering, pour over chocolate chips, let sit 2 mins, stir until silky.
7. Top the cake: Spread ganache over cooled cake. Slice, serve, and wait for the “mmm” sounds.

FAQs

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

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• Author: Emily
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 8–10 slices 1x

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Description

This Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is the love child of a cozy autumn dessert and a chocolate fix. Soft pumpkin vibes, a hint of spice, and a luscious ganache make this the perfect cake for fall or any dessert craving moment.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ teaspoons pumpkin spice
• ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup buttermilk (or ⅓ cup milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar, let sit 5 mins)
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Ganache:
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or dark for richer flavor)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk sugars, egg, pumpkin puree, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth.
4. Add dry ingredients into wet, stir gently until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Pour into the pan, smooth top, and bake for 30–35 mins, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let cool completely.
6. To make ganache, heat cream until simmering, pour over chocolate chips, let sit for 2 mins, then stir until smooth.
7. Spread ganache over cooled cake. Slice and serve.

Notes

You can use fresh pumpkin, just make sure it’s well-drained. No pumpkin spice? Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Cake keeps well refrigerated for a few days—just bring to room temp before serving.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 320
• Sugar: 22g
• Sodium: 210mg
• Fat: 17g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 4g
• Cholesterol: 30mg

Keywords: chocolate, pumpkin, cake, fall, dessert

Conclusion

This Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is the love child of a cozy autumn dessert and a chocolate fix. The pumpkin keeps it soft, the spices give it a little seasonal swagger, and the ganache… well, it’s pure indulgence. Honestly, it’s one of those cakes that makes people think you spent all day in the kitchen—when really, you just mixed stuff in two bowls and baked it. Win.