Dark Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Pie Frosting

Today, I’ve got a killer Dark Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Pie Buttercream for you, and she’s a doozy, this one … a real banger of a recipe. My family was SO happy with me when I busted this one out last week, let me tell you.

So, I’m kind of scooching this recipe over from my old blog, Harvest and Honey, because if I’m being honest – it’s just too delicious not to house here as well. I truly adore this cake.

Not to use the ever loathed “M word,” but it’s the most moist chocolate cake you will ever make (there’s reasons for this, we’ll check in on those in a sec), and the fluffy, perfect pumpkin buttercream is great with it. Chocolate and pumpkin aren’t paired together all that much, but I’m here to campaign for that marriage – I will happy officiate the joining of a deep dark chocolate with the subtle sweet warmth of pumpkin and all its obligatory spices.

How to make the most moist chocolate cake ever

Again, sorry. But there’s no suitable synonym for the word, you know?

Anyway there are a couple reasons this cake is so perfect – so not dry (there, that’s better yes?). One, we’re using oil, not butter. Oil (either vegetable or canola) makes for a far moister (sorry) cake than butter. We’re also using a combo of sour cream and buttermilk to really just nail that not dryness.

Lastly, we’ll use a cup of piping hot coffee that will not only give an assist to the dark cocoa powder, really sharpening the chocolate flavor, but it will also seal the deal in the moisture department.

Ahem.

The Best Pumpkin Buttercream

The way to create the best ever pumpkin buttercream (or here, I call it “pumpkin pie frosting” is to eliminate some of the canned pumpkin’s intrinsic moisture (did it again). Pumpkin, because it’s a veggie, has a lot of water in it, even the canned stuff.

That water can really be a drag in a buttercream, totally messing with the texture and consistency – so we’re going to simmer our cup of canned pumpkin pie filling in a small saucepan over medium heat until some of that water has had the chance to bubble its way right out of the equation.

There’s that’s better. NOW we can whip it into the butter and sugar, add a pinch of warm cinnamon, and spread it alllllll over that perfect chocolate cake.

The Breakdown: Dark Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Pie Frosting

With its seasonally apropos coloring and warm, subtle spicing, this cake is a wonderful addition to any autumnal table – and it’s simple to make. No layers need apply here.

What you’ll need:

For the Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s Special Dark)

1.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

3/4 cup sour cream

¼ cup buttercream

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 TBSP pure vanilla extract

1 cup boiling hot coffee 

For the pumpkin buttercream:

1 cup pumpkin pie filling (the canned stuff)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

How to make this Chocolate Snack Cake with Pumpkin Buttercream

For the cake: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 9″ X 13″ baking pan and then line it with parchment paper. Spray the parchment liberally with a natural cooking spray (such as a coconut oil spray or canola oil spray).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the hot coffee to the batter and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir to ensure it is well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28 – 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with minimal crumbs attached. Cool in the pan almost completely, and then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely, remove the parchment paper.

 For the buttercream: Combine the pumpkin pie filling and cinnamon in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a slow bubble. Once bubbling, turn the heat down to low and let it continue to cook for 3 minutes, still stirring. Remove the puree from the heat. Cool to room temp and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to using.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the 2 sticks of butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, and beat again.

Turn the mixture to low and slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing until well combined. Add the chilled pumpkin mixture to the buttercream one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Keep adding until your desired pumpkin taste is reached – just don’t add too much. It can make the frosting runny. I use about 5 tablespoons. Scrape down the sides and mix the frosting on medium speed until light, and smooth (about 5 minutes).

To assemble: Move the cake to a serving platter and frost the top with the buttercream. Cut into squares and serve.

If you like the looks of this Dark Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Pie Buttercream, you might want to check out:

Cookies and Cream Icebox Cake

Toffee Cinnamon Tiramisu Cake

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