Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Ganache Icing
This chocolate cake is moist and delicious, and the subtle pumpkin, apple, and spice flavors make it a perfect treat for a gathering of friends on an autumn afternoon.
Ingredients
2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ cup butter, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups canned pumpkin
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
4 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ⅔ cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in pumpkin, applesauce, and ½ cup cream. Beat in flour mixture until batter looks smooth.
Lightly grease a 9-inch Bundt pan* and dust with remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. Spoon batter to prepared pan and spread it evenly.
Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 50 to 65 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning cake out onto a wire rack to let cool completely.
In a small saucepan, heat remaining ½ cup cream until steaming hot but not boiling. Add chocolate to hot cream and let sit for 1 minute for chocolate to melt before mixing vigorously with a fork or a whisk until smooth. Let cool to desired consistency—you can either drizzle the icing on the cake when it’s still warm and pourable or wait, like we did, until the icing has cooled and can be spread on the cake.