Spiced Pumpkin Snacking Cake with Fluffiest Chocolate Buttercream
Made with pumpkin puree and seasonal spices, this pumpkin snacking cake topped with chocolate frosting is a delicious new way to love the flavors of fall.
Spiced Pumpkin Snacking Cake with Fluffiest Chocolate Buttercream
Photo Credit : Nico SchincoThis pumpkin snacking cake turned me into a pumpkin lover. That is partly due to the fact that it is paired with (an outstanding) chocolate buttercream, and chocolate is always a wildly influential player. But there is something else going on here, too. The warming spices, the bright orange color, the tight soft crumb, and the way the flavor and texture improve over a few days—all contribute to making it one of my go-to fall favorites.
This recipe from Jessie Sheehan appeared in the Sep/Oct 2024 issue of Yankee Magazine. Jessie has published more than 200 such recipes in her most recent books, Snackable Bakes, and her latest, Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes, from which these recipes are excerpted.
Yield:
12 servingsFor the cake
Ingredients
Cooking spray or softened unsalted butter, for the pan
1½ cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup vegetable oil
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 scant cup (213 grams) pure pumpkin puree
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray or softened butter. Line with a long piece of parchment paper that extends up the two opposite sides of the pan.
To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, and vanilla for 30 seconds; whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and then the pumpkin. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a flexible spatula just until the last streak of flour disappears. If the batter is super lumpy, give it a few more folds until most of the lumps disappear. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and shimmy the pan on the counter to even out the batter.
Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, rotating at the halfway point, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a moist crumb or two. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, or until you can safely lift the cake out by the parchment overhang without burning yourself. Run a butter knife around the edges if it resists. Let cool to room temperature before frosting.
For the buttercream
Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons whole milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the buttercream, beat the butter on medium-low speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, and then the cocoa powder and salt, until combined, scraping the bowl with a flexible spatula, as needed. Beat in the milk and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, as the frosting lightens in color and gets fluffier. Generously frost the cake, leaving the sides bare, and serve. Keep the cake, wrapped, on the counter for up to 3 days.
