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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Pumpkin chocolate chip cake with moist orange crumb and dark chocolate chips folded through, baked in two 9-inch layers. Finished with a swirled chocolate cream cheese frosting that spreads smoothly from center to edges.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cake
  • 2.5 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1.5 cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1.5 cup dark chocolate chips
For chocolate cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 0.25 cup butter
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.5 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin cake layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9-inch round pans. Make sure the pans are evenly coated so the cakes release cleanly.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until the batter looks smooth and uniformly orange.
  3. Fold in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt) until just incorporated. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see dry flour.
  4. Fold in dark chocolate chips. The batter should be speckled with chips throughout.
  5. Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, until the centers spring back and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
  6. Cool the cake layers completely. Leave them in the pans briefly, then turn out and cool fully before frosting.
Frost and serve
  1. Beat chocolate cream cheese frosting ingredients (cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk) until smooth. The frosting should look thick, glossy, and spreadable.
  2. Frost between the layers and all over the cake. Swirl the frosting across the top and sides for a finished, textured look.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, cool the layers completely before frosting so the frosting doesn’t melt or slide. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze frosted cake slices up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat butter in the frosting.