Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

From: The Halloween Issue of Country Living Magazine, October 2005
Makes 1 eight-inch 3-layer cake (18 servings) or 26 cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup plus 2 TBS good-quality cocoa
  • 1 TBS baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp fresh-grated nutmeg
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 recipe Orange Cream-Cheese frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Prepare cake pans: Heat oven to 350. Lightly butter three 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with an 8-inch circle of parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Make the batter: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.

3. Bake the cake: Divide the batter among the pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean-about 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove cakes and cool. (For cupcakes: Heat oven to 375. Place cupcake liners in standard cupcake tins and fill each with ¼ cup batter. Bake for 22 minutes.)

TIP: Start with chilled frosting and ice the layers to ½ inch from the edge to prevent too much dripping.

4. Assemble the cake: Trim each of the layers. Place one layer on a cake plate and top with on third of the frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. (To ensure that the cake layers do not shift, cut three skewers to ¼ inch shorter than the full height of the cake and insert them before icing the top layer.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Calories: 347.

Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting

Makes 3 ½ cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened.
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), softened
  • 1TBS fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp grated orange zest
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ tsp orange food coloring

Directions:

1. Make the frosting: Blend the cream cheese, butter, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy-about 3 more minutes.
2. Add the food coloring and gently stir until the color is uniform. Chill the frosting until ready to ice the cake or cupcakes.

Calories: 256

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