Today’s recipe is one of my sister’s tried and true favorites from Better Homes & Gardens she has been making for years – Chocolate Layer Cake with Pumpkin Cream Filling (Chocolate Harvest Cake).
CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE
CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE – Fantastic chocolate layer cake with pumpkin cream filling topped with ganache. This awesome cake will have family and guests raving asking for the recipe. Perfect for Fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Simple to make too!! To. Die. For.
Family and friends will LOVE this cake, it’s a winning recipe!
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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens (Chocolate Harvest Cake)
Please note, on BHG, there is a mistake in the recipe, it calls for 1 ounce of cream cheese, it should be 8 ounces.
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup oil (vegetable or Canola)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour (sift)
- 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa- sift (dark cocoa is best)
Pumpkin Cream Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Ganache Icing (we decided to double the ganache – you can half it if you like)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I used two-4-oz. Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking-quality chocolate bars)
Directions
CakePreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line the bottoms of two 9″ round cake cake pans with parchment paper. Be sure to grease entire pan. Once the parchment paper is lined on the bottom of the pans, be sure grease the paper too. Cooking spray works well.
In a large mixing bowl, mix buttermilk, water, oil, sugar and eggs until well blended. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl (baking soda, salt, flour and cocoa).
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans.
Bake at 350 F on the middle rack for approximately 30-35 minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. When done, remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove cakes and place on cooling racks.
Using a mixer, beat all ingredients together well until thickened.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve. ENJOY!

1/3 can pumpkin purée? What size of can?
You need 1/3 cup of pumpkin, Allison – only a small can.
You need 1/3 CUP of pumpkin, Allison – a small can.
Oh. My. Goodness. This looks so decadent! Yum, yum, yum!
This cake looks delicious! =)
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This cake is awesome, made it for Christmas, family loved it.