CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

By BobD

Ingredients

• 20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) soft unsalted butter, more for greasing
• 2 cups flour, more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup plain pumpkin puree canned, frozen or fresh
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 10 ounces unsweetened chocolate, preferably 99 or 100 percent, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little butter to grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Butter and flour the paper. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.

2. Using an electric mixer, cream 8 tablespoons butter and the granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in pumpkin pur Mixture may look slightly curdled. Stir in flour mixture about half a cup at a time until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.

3. Divide batter into pans and bake in middle of oven until springy to the touch and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, run a knife around edges, invert onto racks and peel off paper. Let cakes cool completely.

4. In a large bowl, blend remaining 12 tablespoons butter and confectioners sugar together. Blend in chocolate and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

5. Place one cake layer, smooth side up, on a platter. Ice top. Place second layer, smooth side down, on top; ice top and sides of cake.