This Pumpkin Chocolate Ganache Cake post is sponsored by Dixie Crystals in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions, recipes, & photos are my own!
Fall has made its appearance, temperatures are dropping, and we’re gearing up for Halloween. And Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without some sugary treats!
It’s the season for all things pumpkin, and I’m finding inspiration in one of my favorite flavor combos: pumpkin and chocolate. So today I give you the Pumpkin Chocolate Ganache Cake!
It’s an easy recipe that tdhe whole family can pitch in and make together, and then gobble up together as well. It’s hard to believe something so special can be so effortless. And not only does it look fancy, but it tastes scrumptious as well.
My love for chocolate and pumpkin started many years ago with some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares. Before that I wouldn’t have thought of putting the two flavors together. Now I can’t get enough.
And apparently neither can you, because there are countless desserts, cakes, bars, fudge, and cookies with this delicious flavor combo on Pinterest, on food blogs, in cookbooks, and in grocery stores. Personally I’m digging all this pumpkin chocolate love that’s going around - more for me to sample… or should I say devour!
There are so many reasons I love baking with pumpkin! Let me count the ways…
- It’s so good for us... packed with vitamin C, E, potassium, and iron as well as beta-carotene, and it’s low in calories.
- It makes everything so moist and it’s readily available in cans of pumpkin puree at almost any grocery store.
- Its natural orange color provides the perfect food coloring to celebrate the fall season.
- When paired with cinnamon, ginger and chocolate it’s completely, mouth-wateringly delicious!
I’m feeling an ode to pumpkin coming on… I’ll try to refrain since I have such an amazing recipe to share with you today.
This Pumpkin Chocolate Ganache Cake is everything… moist, delicious, and beautiful.✨ And, it’s something the family can spend time together making, which is what Sunday Supper and Dixie Crystals are all about: families spending time together in the kitchen, and around the table, making memories through sharing food.
If you’re looking for more yummy recipes, or baking & cooking tips, head over to Dixie Crystals and find 1000’s of time-tested recipes, plus baking videos, vintage cookbooks and more. Their website also has a “Kids in the Kitchen” section where you’ll find hundreds of kid-friendly craft ideas, printables, edible art projects, activity sheets and sweet science projects.
But more about this pumpkin cake recipe.
First you add all of your dry ingredients (except the sugar) to a mixing bowl & set aside. Then beat together the butter & sugar, and add in your pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, & oil, until they're mixed thoroughly. The eggs join the party next, one at a time with the mixer on low. Now slowly add in your dry ingredients about a cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Finally divide the mixture into three-greased 9 inch round baking pans and bake on 325 for 30-35 minutes.♨️
How simple is that!
You will need to let the cakes cool for at least an hour, and then you can add the layers of chocolate frosting. This is another simple process.
You heat heavy cream until it reaches a simmer. Then remove from the heat and pour the hot cream into a large mixing bowl with chocolate chips. Whisk by hand until all the chocolate is melted, then use an electric mixer to whip this frosting up adding a few more tablespoons of heavy cream until some stiff peaks form. Now we can start to assemble.
Place the first layer of cake on your serving platter. Now spoon half the frosting onto the center of the cake and spread to the edges. Repeat the same step again with the next pumpkin cake layer. Then top it off with the third pumpkin cake layer and put the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes while you make the chocolate ganache (see instructions below).
Once the ganache has cooled to room temperature pour a small spoonful of it at the top edge of the cake, then gently nudge it over the edge so that it runs down. Create longer and shorter drips by using more or less chocolate in each spoonful. Next add more ganache to the top center of the cake, carefully spreading the chocolate evenly over the entire top and blending it into the ganache around the top edges. #homestretch
Finally, I like to make chocolate curls with a block of good quality chocolate to add even more interest to the cake. All you need is a veggie peeler, a small block of chocolate and your microwave. Heat the chocolate up on a small plate for 15-20 seconds. It will be a little gooey around the edges, but grab the chocolate and start peeling one of the longer sides of the chocolate block. Each time you peel, you will create a curl. I find it easier to peel the curls over a napkin on a plate, then transfer them to the top of the cake using a wooden skewer. If you try to handle them with your fingers, they may break or lose their shape.
And abracadabra, hocus pocus… chocolate curls!?
If you don't think you have enough chocolate for the entire cake top just concentrate on the center, and then have a few sporadic smaller curls outside the center area.
I love how it turned out, so understated yet so elegant.
I did also use this second method for making chocolate curls, where you melt down the chocolate with some shortening, spread it over the bottom of a cookie sheet to cool, and freeze it for a few minutes. Then you roll it up with a flat-ended spatula. I like this because it produces some really thick curls that add more variety and interest on top of the cake.
Not only will your family love making this festive Pumpkin Chocolate Ganache Cake they will also love eating it! Happy Fall, happy Halloween and happy eating!
PS if you need a fun & festive take on holiday coffee, check out this cinnamon butter coffee recipe!
Amazing chocolate + pumpkin combination in a seasonal twist on a classic layer cake. Topped w/chocolate curls… beautiful AND scrumptious! This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!Pumpkin Chocolate Ganache Cake
Ingredients
For The Cake:
For The Chocolate Frosting Layers:
For The Ganache:
For The Chocolate Curls:
Instructions
For The Cake:
For The Chocolate Frosting Layers:
For The Ganache:
For The Chocolate Curls:
Nutrition Information
Yield
14
Serving Size
1 slice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 689Total Fat 42gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 87mgSodium 402mgCarbohydrates 80gFiber 4gSugar 53gProtein 7g
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Carey
Hi there,
I am looking forward to making this. Does the cake need to be refrigerated or can it stay out at room temperature? Thanks so much!
holly
Hi Carey, I love this cake! It can stay out over night the day you bake and assemble it but it should be refrigerated to store. I hope you enjoy it!
Samantha
Thanks for sharing!
lisaiscooking
What a showstopper! And, I love pumpkin desserts so much. What a great treat for fall. Happy fall!
holly
Happy fall Lisa! Thanks so much! I'm totally with you! Fall food is so delicious, especially dessert!
Gretchen
This cake is so beautiful...and just overall amazing to look at.....but eating it is just what people would imagine....slices of heavenly pumpkin with chocolate perfection through out....totally worth it. Oh, and on day three, I decided to give it a quick 13 seconds in the microwave with my morning coffee....and yes, it was worth the extra push at zumba!! Thanks for always putting out the show stoppers Holly!!
holly
Gretchen!! It's all my pleasure! I absolutely love this description "slices of heavenly pumpkin with chocolate perfection through out." So poetic!! Thanks so much for all the props! I love hearing that you enjoyed it and that it was worth every bit of those yummy calories! Thank God pumpkin and chocolate are both vegetables!!?
serena
What a stunning cake! Love the chocolate/pumpkin combo!
holly
Thanks so much Serena! I can't get enough of chocolate and pumpkin. It's good to know there's others that feel the same way!
Renee Paj
Beautiful cake perfect for Halloween or the upcoming holidays!
holly
Thank you Renee! I'm sure I'll be serving it quite a bit over the next few months.
Jeff
I'm always torn in two over pumpkin-chocolate combinations. I love my pumpkin straight on. And, like many people, I don't eat pumpkin except seasonally - and the season is too short for experimentation. Nonetheless, I have to confess that the combination of pumpkin and chocolate is a good one, and your cake looks absolutely spectacular! I have a feeling it's probably well worth the diversion.
holly
Hi Jeff, I appreciate your kind words and I totally understand this pumpkin dilemma you speak of. I do believe the Pumpkin Chocolate Ganache Cake is worthy of being put in the short lived pumpkin consumption rotation. It is quite delicious. Thanks so much for stopping by!
AZ@...And a Dash of Cinnamon
Ah I love pumpkin! This for sure looks elegant and perfect for the season
holly
Thanks so much AZ! I love pumpkin as well! I have to get all my pumpkin eating in while I can since the season is just too short.
Liz
What a stunning cake! This is the way I want to celebrate Halloween!!!
holly
I'm with you Liz! No candy needed just cake!? Thank you!