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close up of moist pumpkin chocolate chip cake on plates.
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5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

This pumpkin chocolate chip cake is a 3 layer moist pumpkin cake loaded with pumpkin and spices. It is filled with chocolate whipped cream cheese and mini chocolate chips. It is topped with cream cheese frosting and a chocolate drip.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time24 minutes
Total Time1 hour 24 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 779kcal

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

  • 3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Baking powder
  • 3 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 3 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon Ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 ¼ cup White granulated sugar
  • 1 cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
  • 5 Large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup Oil canola or vegetable
  • 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • 1.4 lbs Pure pumpkin puree not the pie filling

Chocolate Whipped Cream Cheese

  • 8 oz Cream cheese room temperature
  • ¾ cup Powdered sugar sifted
  • ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Heavy cream cold
  • Mini chocolate chips for topping the filling

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 ½ cup Unsalted butter slightly cold
  • 10 oz Cream cheese room temperature
  • 8 ½ cups Powdered sugar sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup Heavy cream This is just enough to frost the cake. If you want enough to pipe decorations see notes below the recipe.

Chocolate Drip

  • 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup Heavy cream

Instructions

Pumpkin Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 8 inch cake pans with baking non-stick spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with 8 inch circle parchment circles. Spray again and set aside.
  • In a big mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Add in the sugar and brown sugar. Use a mixer, and mix on low for 15 seconds.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in 3 intervals. Once mixed, scrape the bowl and mix again for 20 seconds. The batter should be thoroughly combined.
  • Pour the batter evenly between the cake pans by using a kitchen scale.
  • Bake for 22-25 minutes. The cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the cakes for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow cakes to cool completely.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

  • In a small bowl, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together. Set aside. Using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese on high for 1 minute. Mix until smooth. Add in powdered sugar/cocoa powder. Mix on low until combined, then switch to high. Mix until smooth.
  • Add the vanilla and milk to the bowl, mix until combined. Freeze a metal mixing bowl and a whisk attachment for 10 minutes. This makes whipping up whipped cream easier.
  • Use a mixer with the cold bowl, and pour in the heavy cream. Whip on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Pour the whipped cream into the chocolate cream cheese mixture.
  • Use a rubber spatula and gently fold in the whipped cream. It takes a bit to get it smooth, but keep folding. Keep cold until using it in the cake. Can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Sit the butter on the counter for 30 minutes. The butter will be cold to the touch and still leave a finger indent. Sift the powdered sugar in a large bowl
  • Use a mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high for 1 minute. Add in the butter and beat for 1-2 minutes on medium-high. Beat until the butter is completely smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until all combined.
  • Add in the salt, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat on low until heavy cream is mixed in, then turn to high and beat for 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl and beat for 1 minute. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
  • Take a wooden spoon and beat the frosting by hand until all air bubbles are beaten out. The frosting should be silky smooth. This frosting makes enough to frost the cake and pipe decorations on the top. If you want frosting to pipe the pumpkins, see notes.

Chocolate Drip

  • Pour chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan on medium-low until it is hot and steaming. Pour heavy cream over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
  • Use a rubber spatula and mix the chocolate together until it smooth and silky.

Assembly

  • Place first layer bottom side down. Use a 1M wilton tip and pipe a double layer border around the edge of the cake. This will keep the filling inside the cake.
  • Use ¾ cup of chocolate whipped cream per layer of cake. Smooth it on the cake. Top with mini chocolate chips. Repeat with the second layer. Then, place the last layer bottom side up.
  • Freeze for 10 minutes to set the filling. Place a thin layer of frosting around the cake. This will be the crumb coat layer. Freeze for 15 minutes.
  • Frost the cake. If piping the pumpkins, pipe them now. I used a 1M tip to pipe the pumpkin, then size 3 tip to pipe the stems and vines. Then, freeze cake for 10 minutes for the frosting to set. Prepare the chocolate drip while its in the freezer.
  • Use a squeeze bottle and have the chocolate fall natural down the sides of the cake. This only works if the chocolate is warm. Pour the rest of the chocolate on top of the cake and use a spatula to guide it to the edge of the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes. If you pipe frosting on top of the chocolate while it's wet, it could slide off.
  • *Optional pipe a border around the top of the cake. Then, top with mini chocolate chips. Keep cake in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

Cake:
Flour- Make sure it is spooned and leveled or use a kitchen scale. Compacted flour can dry out the cake.
Make sure eggs are room temperature before baking.
If you want to freeze the cake, wrap the cooled cake in cling wrap. Freeze the cake. Pull the cakes from the freezer 1 hour before decorating.
Frosting with enough to pipe pumpkins.
  • 3 cups unsalted butter slightly cold
  • 13 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 12 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup plus ⅛ cup heavy cream

Nutrition

Calories: 779kcal | Carbohydrates: 133g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 7580IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 3mg