Pumpkin Layer Cake Chocolate Frosting
If fall had a flavor, it would absolutely be pumpkin… and this pumpkin cake wrapped in silky chocolate frosting is the perfect cake to make for all your fall celebrations! This pumpkin layer cake is soft, spiced, and full of autumn goodness, perfect for cozy gatherings, holidays, or when you want your kitchen to smell like fall.
What makes this cake even more fun is the festive decoration: little piped pumpkins made of frosting around the top. They’re cute, whimsical, and bring that perfect fall touch to your dessert table. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving, a fall birthday, or just celebrating pumpkin season, this cake is a showstopper.
The rich, smooth chocolate frosting pairs beautifully with the warm pumpkin flavor, creating a delicious balance of cozy spice and creamy decadence. It’s the kind of cake that makes people stop mid-bite and say, “Wow, this is amazing!”
If you’re looking for a dessert that’s as beautiful as it is delicious, this pumpkin cake with chocolate frosting is it. The moist pumpkin layers, silky chocolate frosting, and adorable frosting pumpkins on top will make this your new favorite fall tradition.
A Slice of Fall Happiness
When you cut into this pumpkin layer cake, you’ll see just how soft and tender the crumb is. Each bite is filled with warm fall spices, creamy chocolate frosting, and that perfect balance of cozy pumpkin flavor and rich chocolate.
Pumpkin cake is always a fall favorite, but this one goes above and beyond. The thick layers of silky chocolate frosting not only coat the outside but fill the center, giving you chocolate in every single bite. And when you add the cute piped pumpkins on top, it instantly becomes the star of any autumn gathering.
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake– A simple, crowd-pleasing favorite! This pumpkin sheet cake is soft, spiced just right, and perfect for serving a group. It’s the kind of easy dessert that works for everything from weeknight treats to holiday gatherings.
- Pumpkin Layer Cake Chocolate Frosting- (You’re here now!) This show-stopping layer cake combines tender pumpkin cake with rich, silky chocolate frosting. It’s a little unexpected, completely delicious, and sure to impress at any fall celebration.
- Pumpkin Cake Cream Cheese Frosting– A classic pairing you can’t go wrong with! Fluffy pumpkin cake meets tangy cream cheese frosting for the ultimate fall dessert. Cozy, comforting, and always a hit at the table.
- Pumpkin Bread– Moist, flavorful, and full of autumn spices, this pumpkin bread is a staple recipe you’ll want to bake on repeat. Enjoy it for breakfast, a snack, or even lightly toasted with butter for a cozy treat.
- Pumpkin Scone– Tender and flaky with just the right amount of sweetness, these pumpkin scones are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Add a drizzle of glaze, and they taste straight out of a bakery.
- Pumpkin 6″-3 layer Cake– A smaller but stunning option! This 6-inch pumpkin cake stacks three moist, spiced layers with plenty of frosting in between. It’s perfect when you want a beautiful centerpiece cake without making a giant dessert.
Whether you serve this cake after Thanksgiving dinner, bring it to a fall potluck, or enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee on a chilly afternoon, it’s guaranteed to make everyone smile.
Pumpkin Layer Cake Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup oil, I use avocado oil, vegetable oil is another option
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Prepare 2- 8" round pans with pan release or baking spray and lightly flour if desired.
- In a large bowl of a mixer, or mix by hand. Place the Sugar and eggs into the bowl and mix well to combine.
- Add in the flour, milk, pumpkin, butter, oil, baking powder, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth, mix until the batter is well blended and all ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into each cake pan and spread it smoothly.
- Place both cake pans on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
- Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, test about 15 minutes to be sure it's not done, test with a toothpick, when it comes out clean. Place cake pans on a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cakes from the pans by turning the cakes onto the wire rack. Cool completely.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter
- 6 oz cream cheese room temperature (cold cream cheese will make frosting lumpy)
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar add more if you need the frosting thicker
- 1/2-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream add more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For this cake, I prepared the frosting without adding the cocoa and removed a heaping cup of frosting to tint to use for the pumpkins (white and orange, and a small portion green)
- In the bowl of a mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese. Add in the powdered sugar and heavy cream, mix until smooth, and add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream and mix until creamy.
- Remove the portion for pumpkin decorations. Place some white frosting in a bowl, a portion for the orange, and add a small amount of cocoa or a tiny drop of brown with orange food coloring to make a nice warm orange color. Make a very small portion dark army green for the vine. Place the colored frosting into piping bags fitted with piping tips (#32 for the orange pumpkins, #4B for the larger white pumpkins, and #3 for the green vines).
- To the remaining frosting, you'll add the cocoa, then add the vanilla and additional heavy cream, and mix well until the frosting is smooth, creamy, and spreadable. Remove a tiny amount of the vines on the pumpkins.
- You'll then spread some chocolate frosting in between the cake layers. Spread more frosting on the sides and top of the cake. Make swirls with the back of a spoon in a swooping motion. Then pipe the "pumpkins" onto the top of the cake, add vines, and use a tiny amount of chocolate frosting for the vines.
- Refrigerate the cake to set the frosting.
- Remove cake from the fridge at least an hour before serving.