4 layer Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Homemade and piled high, this 4 layer Chocolate Pumpkin Cake will be the hit of your holiday dessert table. Crafted with contrasting layers of chocolate and pumpkin, this cream cheese frosted cake is perfect for fall.

It’s funny how the phrase ‘friendly reminder’ is often followed by words that aren’t friendly at all. Especially when it’s coming from me. Start a sentence with those five syllables and I’m putting people on notice: heed the warning or there’ll be hurt feelings. And quite possibly hurt body parts. “Friendly reminder, I’m out of office until next week. Contact me with anything work related and you risk life and limb.” This autoreply sends a message: I’m on vacation; unless you want to be on long-term disability, don’t bother me.

Friendly reminders set boundaries from corporate America to kitchens. In mine, there’s a hard and fast rule that desserts are off limits until they’re photographed. Unfortunately, my family has selective amnesia. And access to forks. So I’m constantly refreshing their memories with passive-aggressive Post-its stuck to cake stands. Today’s message: “Walk away from the cake or you’ll be walking with crutches!” If my kid’s craving something sweet, too bad. He can enjoy the taste of my salty tone, not my Chocolate Pumpkin Cake.

Friendly reminder or kindly PSA, whatever you call it, you can’t forget the exclamation marks. It’s fun to sprinkle them in like confetti at a surprise party. And, let’s face it, every party needs a cake. Funny, because I just so happen to have a cake worthy of a celebration: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake. Whether you’re looking for a fall cake or a Thanksgiving cake, this cake recipe has all the flavors of the season. Warm, cozy spices, pumpkin and cocoa powder combine to make this moist 4 layer cake a keeper. Slather the contrasting stacks with a simple cream cheese frosting and this is your friendly reminder that fall cakes don’t get any better.

Before sharing the Chocolate Pumpkin Cake recipe here are a few baking tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a sour milk substitution by stirring 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice into 1/2 cup of whole milk then letting it set for 5 minutes before use.

Espresso powder is a secret ingredient that enhances the flavor of chocolate cake. It’s an optional ingredient, but for best results don’t omit it.

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice you can make your own concoction by combining equal amounts of ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and ground allspice. Store excess in a sealed container at room temperature.

Eggs need to be at room temperature before beginning. If you’ve forgotten to take yours out of the refrigerator ahead of time, speed up the process by placing them in a bowl of warm water. Don’t use hot water; we want to warm the eggs, not hatch them.

Preparation Tips

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which will cause your cake to be dry.

Cool cake layers completely before topping with frosting.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake can be made 2 days in advance. Cover the cooled, unfrosted cake layers in plastic wrap then store in the refrigerator until ready to frost and serve.

How to Store Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Cover and store frosted cake in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

To freeze, double wrap cake, first in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil, before placing in an airtight container in the freezer. Store up to 3 months.

I hope you enjoy this unique pumpkin cake recipe. Please leave a rating and review below when you try it yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you like chocolate pumpkin desserts then you’ll love this Double Chocolate Pumpkin Tart. Chocolate crusted on the bottom, chocolate swirled on top and chockful of pumpkin in the middle makes this the ultimate tart of fall flavors. 

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Heather Wolf

Homemade and piled high, this 4 layer Chocolate Pumpkin Cake will be the hit of your holiday dessert table. Crafted with contrasting layers of chocolate and pumpkin, this cream cheese frosted cake is perfect for fall.

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Freeze 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cupcakes

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus more for dusting baking pan
• 1 tbsp black cocoa powder (optional for color)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional for flavor)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt fine
• 1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract pure

Pumpkin Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached plus more for dusting baking pan
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt fine
• 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract pure

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 12 ounces full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar packed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 2 tbsp pumpkin butter
• 1 tbsp chocolate chips melted and cooled

Instructions

 

Chocolate Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with butter then dust pan with cocoa powder. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, both cocoa powders, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside
• In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, egg, buttermilk and vanilla until combined.
• Add dry ingredients to wet then stir with a spoon until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
• Pour batter into baking pan, level the top with a spatula then bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking.
• Place cake pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside
• In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, brown sugar, pumpkin, eggs and vanilla.
• Add dry ingredients to wet then stir with a spoon until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
• Pour batter into baking pan, level the top with a spatula then bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking.
• Place cake pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy – approximately 2 minutes.
• Add butter and continue beating until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Reduce mixer speed to low then add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on low until combined then beat on high until light and fluffy.

Assembly

• After cakes have cooled completely, turn them out from their pans then level tops with a cake leveler or serrated knife.
• Next, cut each cake in half horizontally (keeping the layers an even thickness).
• Gently cover each layer with plastic wrap then place in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.

  Note: This step helps keep your frosting free of cake crumbs.
• After layers have chilled, gently remove plastic wrap and place 1 chocolate cake layer on a cake stand then frost top with cream cheese frosting. Stack a pumpkin cake layer onto the chocolate, frost the top of the pumpkin layer then repeat the stacking and frosting process for the remaining 2 cake layers.
• If desired, dollop pumpkin butter and melted chocolate onto top layer of frosting then swirl into the cream cheese with a spoon.

Store

• Cover and store leftover cake in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Keyword cake, chocolate, pumpkin