Make this pumpkin chocolate Halloween cake for your holiday celebration! With its spooky stripes and festive garnishes, it will be the hit of the party!
Ok so we are *nearly* mid-October (eep!) so I think it’s about time to start breaking out the Halloween desserts. Hooray!
What do you say we kick off the season with this spooky and fun Pumpkin Chocolate Halloween Cake!
What do you think? Alternating layers of spiced pumpkin cake and my most favorite moist chocolate cake, filled with silky vanilla buttercream and topped with a drippy dark chocolate glaze. Looks pretty impressive huh? I bet this would make a big splash at a party!
Real talk: sometimes just the thought of making a layer cake gets me all sweaty. I know! What is my problem?? I make desserts all the dang time, layer cakes should be a breeze for me. I can’t explain it, but I often get stressed just at the thought of it.
Well, this one was really pretty siimple. True, there are a lot of components, but you can make almost all of them ahead, and the decorations guarantee that this cake will be an absolute stunner. With minimal effort! It’s as easy as scattering on some store-bought Halloween candy.
I baked the layers on day one, made the frosting, assembled, glazed, and decorated it on day two. And still had time to snap all the pics before the sun went down (which is happening way too early these days, btw).
In fact, I really think it helps a lot if the cake layers have a night in the fridge. Somehow, the cake holds together better, is less crumb-y, and seems to become more moist as it chills. Just wrap them up tightly with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.
How do you like the “naked cake” look? Where the frosting on the sides of the cake is really thin, and you can see the layers peeking through? I think it’s cool, especially when the cake is kinda different and eye-catching, with alternating black and orange stripes.
As for the garnishes, they really make the whole presentation. The tall, witch-pumpkin thing is a gummy lollipop I found at my local supermarket. The ghosts are marshmallow peeps, stuck onto bamboo skewers. Candy corn and mello-creme pumpkins are scattered around the one side, and chopped Oreos and festive sprinkles fill in. It’s super simple and gives such a fun look to this pumpkin chocolate Halloween cake.
If you have a Halloween party coming up I really think this cake would be a perfect addition to the table!
prep time
45 MINS
cook time
40 MINS
total time
1 HR 25 MINS
course: DESSERT
cuisine: AMERICAN
keyword: CAKE, CHOCOLATE, HALLOWEEN, PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE HALLOWEEN CAKE
servings: 8 *
calories: 1153 KCAL
Ingredients
FOR THE PUMPKIN LAYERS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
2 large eggs
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYERS
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE FILLING/TOPPINGS
6 egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
Garnishes: gummy pops, marshmallow ghosts, mello-creme pumpkins, candy corn, chopped Oreo minis, and sprinkles.
Instructions
TO MAKE THE PUMPKIN LAYERS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Generously mist two 8-inch diameter by 3-inch high cake pans with non-stick spray, and line with circles cut from parchment paper.
Place the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Add the soft butter, and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
Add the pumpkin, Greek yogurt, and vanilla, and mix on medium-low speed for about 90 seconds, to aerate the batter and develop the cake's structure.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool completely, then fill and frost with vanilla buttercream.
TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE LAYERS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Generously mist two 8-inch diameter by 3-inch high cake pans with non-stick spray, and line with circles cut from parchment paper.
Place the sugar, flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine.
Cut the butter into smaller pieces and add it to the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand (30 seconds to a minute).
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
When all of the eggs are fully incorporated, add the Greek yogurt and vanilla, and beat on medium speed for about 60 to 90 seconds, to aerate the batter and strengthen the cake's structure.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with one or two moist crumbs.
Cool completely, then fill and frost with vanilla buttercream.
FOR THE FROSTING:
Place the egg whites and sugar in a large mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water.
Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is smooth, thin, and translucent, and it no longer feels gritty when rubbed between the thumb and forefinger.
Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk on medium-high speed until fluffy and stiff, and no hint of warmth remains when you place your hand on the side of the bowl.
Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, whipping after each addition. If the mixture seems runny, place it in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes, then re-whip.
When all the butter has been added and the mixture is fluffy and spreadable, stir in 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract.
FOR THE TOPPING:
Place the cream in a large liquid measuring cup.
Add the chocolate and corn syrup, and microwave on high for 15 second intervals, stirring, until smooth.
Stir in the remaining vanilla extract, and pour the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
Garnish with gummy pops, marshmallow ghosts, mello-creme pumpkins, candy corn, chopped Oreo minis, and sprinkles
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Recipe Notes
*one 8-inch diameter, 4-layer cake
Recipe Notes
*one 8-inch diameter, 4-layer cake
link recipes from https://bakingamoment.com/pumpkin-chocolate-halloween-cake/
