Pumpkin Chocolate Cake Recipe (2024)

A pumpkin chocolate cake recipe filled with chocolate ganache and topped with a sweet caramel buttercream!

This seasonal dessert will have you wishing it was Fall all year long!

You’re going to love this chocolate pumpkin cake! While this cake does take some time to make and prepare, it’s worth it! Every step of the way this cake is made from scratch, from the pumpkin chocolate cake to the chocolate ganache and the caramel buttercream frosting on top. Every bite is a sweet and harmonious blend of flavors perfect for Fall.

Chocolate Cake with Caramel Buttercream Frosting

The pumpkin cake with chocolate ganache is definitely more of a chocolate cake with the pumpkin flavor hanging out in the background. The texture is spot on. Just what a cake should look like, it only has a few crumbs, and the cake bounces back when touched. Once the layers cool, cut off the dome with a serrated knife. Then prepare your ganache. From here you will do quite a bit of layering and refrigerating. That is truly the hardest part. Hard only because you have to wait when all you want to do is finish the darn cake so you can start stuffing your face! Once you have your layers filled and stacked, all that’s left to do is crown the top with the silkiest caramel frosting you’ve ever tasted! Don’t worry about frosting the sides of this one, the layers are a work of art!

Ingredients

For the Cake, you will need:

• All-purpose flour
• Cocoa powder
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon
• Buttermilk
• Pumpkin puree
• Vanilla extract
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Whole eggs

For the Ganache, you will need:

• Heavy cream
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Caramel Buttercream, you will need:

• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Vanilla extract
• Kosher salt
• Powdered sugar
• Milk
• Vanilla caramels
• Milk

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Cake Recipe

Make the cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray the inside of (3) 8-inch round cake pans. Set them aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In another bowl stir together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
4. In a mixer bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
5. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add in the flour and pumpkin mixture alternating between the two. Start and end with the flour.
7. Beat together until the batter is smooth.
8. Divide the batter between the three cake pans.
9. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
10. Cool the cake in the pans for 20 minutes before removing it to a wire rack and cool completely.

Make the Ganache

1. In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in your chocolate chips.
3. Continue to whisk together until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Place into the fridge to chill for 30-60 minutes. You want the ganache to be thick, but still spreadable.

Make the Buttercream

1. Microwave the caramels and two tablespoons of milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Do it in 30 seconds internal, stirring well between each until melted.
2. Allow the caramel to cool.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy.
4. Mix in the salt and vanilla.
5. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, adding in a little milk as necessary.
6. Continue to beat together until the buttercream is smooth.
7. Carefully beat in the melted caramel.

Assemble

1. Remove your ganache from the fridge and allow it to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before using.
2. Place the bottom cake layer onto a serving place and use a serrated knife to cut off the dome on top of the cake. Discard it.
3. Place about 1/2 cup of ganache onto the cake in the center and then smooth it out towards the edges using an offset spatula. Place the cake into the fridge and allow the ganache to set for 10-20 minutes.
4. Remove and then top with one cup of buttercream.
5. Spread the buttercream onto the cake starting from the center and working your way out towards the edges.
6. Cut the top off the second cake layer and place it onto the buttercream layer.
7. Repeat the process and continue until all of the cakes have been made and stacked.
8. Place the remaining frosting on the top.
9. Place the cake into the fridge until ready to serve.
10. Before covering the top layer of the cake with frosting make sure to place 3 or 4 wooden skewers throughout the cake to keep the layers in place. Add enough frosting to hide the skewers.

Recipe Tips

After you finish leveling the tops of your cakes, you will be left with pieces of the cut cake. What you do with that part is your business. Crumble it over ice cream, make mini cakes, or do what I did and just eat it.

You can add a sprinkling of coarse salt to the buttercream for a salted caramel flavor.

You will want to use those soft caramel squares for this buttercream so make sure to buy a bag and have the kids unwrap them all because it’s a pretty tedious task.

FAQs

How long is chocolate cake with caramel buttercream frosting good for?

This cake can be kept stored in the fridge for about 4 or 5 days. I recommend letting the cake chill for a few hours before loosely covering it in plastic wrap. The few hours of rest will allow the frosting to “crust” making it much easier to cover with plastic and not become squished looking.

Can I make this cake in advance?

You can prep the cake layers in advance and keep them leveled and wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for up to 3 months. then make the buttercream and ganache and assemble closer to the time you actually want to serve it. You can assemble the cake while the layers are still frozen but the ganache will set pretty quickly on the cold cakes, so work fast.

Need more delicious chocolate cake recipes? Check out these tasty suggestions!

• Double Chocolate Sweet Potato Bundt Cake
• Irish Coffee Chocolate Cake
• 3-Ingredient Chocolate Cake With Sprinkles
• Guinness Chocolate Cake
• Cabernet Dark Chocolate Cake
• Mint Chocolate Cake