Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Whipped Cream & Chocolate Ganache
We love pumpkin pie but thought we would try something a little different with some freshly cooked pumpkin like this Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Whipped Cream and Chocolate Ganache.
1 hour cooling time

For the chocolate pumpkin cake:
- ½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk ½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree, canned 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree, canned
- 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (67 g) cocoa powder ⅔ cup (67 g) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda
- ½ tsp (3 g) salt ½ tsp (3 g) salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) butter ¾ cup (170 g) butter
- 1 cup (217 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed 1 cup (217 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed
- 1 cup (200 g) Redpath® Granulated Sugar 1 cup (200 g) Redpath® Granulated Sugar
- 4 eggs 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract 1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the pumpkin whipped cream:
- 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree, canned 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree, canned
- 2 tsp (6 g) ground cinnamon 2 tsp (6 g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (1 g) ground allspice ¼ tsp (1 g) ground allspice
- 1½ cups (375 ml) heavy cream 1½ cups (375 ml) heavy cream
- 1 - 2 cups (120 g - 240 g) Redpath® Icing Sugar 1 - 2 cups (120 g - 240 g) Redpath® Icing Sugar
For the chocolate ganache:
- ½ cup (85 g) semi-sweet or milk chocolate, roughly chopped (or chips) ½ cup (85 g) semi-sweet or milk chocolate, roughly chopped (or chips)
- ½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream ½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream

Instructions
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, ensuring the longer sides have a 2-inch overhang for easy removal.
In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and pumpkin puree and mix until just incorporated.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, the Redpath® Golden Yellow, and the Redpath® Granulated Sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Alternating, add the flour mixture and pumpkin mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; do not overmix.
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan; 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the whipped cream:
In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and allspice together until well combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream on medium speed until it just begins to thicken. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form; about 2 minutes.
Once the heavy cream has reached the soft peak stage, reduce the speed to medium-low and add 1 cup (120 grams) of the Redpath Icing Sugar, ½ cup at a time. Once the icing sugar has been mixed in, turn off the mixer.
Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream. If the cream is not thick enough, add the remaining 1 cup of the Redpath® Icing Sugar, ½ cup (60 grams) at a time. Cover and place into the fridge until needed.
For the ganache:
In a small pot, bring heavy cream to a simmer; remove from heat.
Place the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Carefully pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes and slowly stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
To assemble:
Use a large serrated knife to carefully slice the completely cooled cake into 3 layers.
Place the bottom layer onto a cake stand or serving plate and top ⅓ of the pumpkin whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining cake layers.
Pour the cooled ganache over the cake. Let the cake set for 30 minute to 1 hour before cutting. Store any leftovers covered or an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Pipe or dollop some of the pumpkin whipped cream on top, if desired.
The recipe is adapted from here.
Chef's Tip
*If buttermilk is unavailable, a good substitute is to stir 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup (250 millilitres) of milk. Allow to sit and thicken; 5 to 10 minutes. Proceed with the recipe as usual, using the necessary amount of buttermilk required.
*Chill the bowl of the stand mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer before whipping the heavy cream.
*To make slicing and icing of the cake easier, cover the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (preferably overnight) before attempting.