Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake

This American-inspired layer cake bakes a cocoa batter with pumpkin puree and warm spices, then finishes with a pourable chocolate ganache. The cake eats like a fudgy sheet cake in layer form: soft crumb, gentle spice, and a firm chocolate coating that sets enough to slice cleanly.

By Julienne

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 10 g unsalted butter for greasing the pans
• 15 g all-purpose flour for dusting the pans
• 300 g all-purpose flour sifted
• 90 g unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
• 8 g baking powder
• 4 g baking soda
• 6 g fine salt
• 4 g ground cinnamon
• 2 g ground ginger
• 1 g ground nutmeg
• 170 g unsalted butter softened
• 300 g granulated sugar
• 100 g light brown sugar packed
• 3 count large eggs room temperature
• 240 g pumpkin puree
• 10 ml vanilla extract
• 180 ml whole milk room temperature
• 240 ml hot coffee freshly brewed
• 240 ml heavy cream
• 340 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 20 g chocolate shavings optional garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 175°C. Grease two 23 cm round cake pans with 10 g of the butter, line the bottoms with parchment, and dust with 15 g of the flour. Set the pans on a rack in the center of the oven. Pans are prepared and the oven is fully preheated.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until evenly combined. The dry mixture looks uniform with no visible cocoa or spice pockets.
3. In a second bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until lighter in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. The mixture is smooth and thicker, with the eggs fully incorporated.
4. Mix one third of the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture, then add half of the milk and half of the hot coffee. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and liquids, mixing just until the batter is smooth and glossy. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. The batter is pourable, evenly colored, and divided between the pans.
5. Bake for 32 to 35 minutes, until the centers spring back lightly and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. The cakes are fully risen, the tops feel set, and the layers are completely cool before frosting.
6. For the ganache, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until steaming and just beginning to bubble at the edges. Pour it over the chocolate chips, let stand for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Let the ganache cool until thick enough to spread but still fluid. The ganache is shiny, lump-free, and spreadable.
7. Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about one third of the ganache over the top, add the second layer, then coat the top and sides with the remaining ganache. If using the garnish, scatter the chocolate shavings over the top before the ganache sets. The ganache is evenly coated and begins to set with a soft sheen.
8. Let the finished cake stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing so the ganache firms slightly and the crumb slices cleanly. Slices hold their shape with a moist crumb and set ganache.