Description
This moist and flavorful Chocolate Pumpkin Cake combines the rich taste of cocoa with the warm spices of pumpkin puree, making it a perfect dessert for fall. Enhanced with a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and optionally studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, this cake offers a deliciously spiced treat that is easy to prepare and sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Optional Ingredients
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves to ensure even distribution of leavening agents and spices.
- Incorporate Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet pumpkin mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir gently until just combined, taking care not to overmix to maintain a tender cake texture.
- Add Chocolate Chips: If using, fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter for extra bursts of chocolate.
- Pour and Smooth Batter: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the surface evenly with a spatula.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, indicating the cake is fully baked.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing. Optionally, top with cream cheese frosting or a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- This cake is naturally moist and flavorful on its own but can be enhanced with cream cheese frosting or a light dusting of powdered sugar.
- For a deeper, richer chocolate flavor, substitute unsweetened cocoa powder with dark cocoa powder.
- You can store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter to keep the cake tender and moist.
