Celebrate the flavors of fall with this decadent Chocolate Pumpkin Harvest Cake! Featuring a sweet pumpkin cream cheese filling and a rich chocolate ganache topping, this cake is pure indulgence. Decorate it with pumpkin seeds, chopped nuts, and seasonal fruits like pears or figs for a beautiful and bountiful harvest cake that’s perfect for the season.
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Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Recipe
- Seasonal Flavors: Chocolate teams up with fall favorites like pumpkin, cinnamon, seeds, nuts, and seasonal fruits to create a delicious autumn-inspired cake.
- Great for Special Occasions: With its stunning presentation, this chocolate pumpkin cake is the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dessert table or other fall gatherings.
- Perfect Texture: The addition of sour cream in the batter gives this cake a moist and tender texture.
- Family Favorite: The chocolate and pumpkin combo is a classic pairing that everyone will love–even the kiddos!.
If you love the delectable combination of pumpkin and chocolate, check out our Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins next.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this chocolate cake with pumpkin puree and cream cheese filling.
For the Cake
- Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps give it a tender texture.
- Flour: All-purpose flour creates the base for the cake batter, providing structure.
- Baking Soda: This leavening agent helps the cake rise properly.
- Cocoa Powder: Adds a chocolate flavor and gives the cake its dark color. Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Water, Oil, and Sour Cream: While water and oil are typically used to keep cakes moist, the sour cream takes it to the next level.
- Eggs: Act as both a binder and a leavening agent.
For the Filling
- Cream Cheese: This is the base of the pumpkin cream cheese filling. I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the best results.
- Pumpkin Puree: Gives the filling its pumpkin flavor. Be sure to use puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the filling.
- Cinnamon: For flavoring the filling.
For the Ganache
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Forms the base of the ganache, adding richness and helping keep it smooth.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Give the ganache its chocolate flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Buttercream: Skip the ganache and make a chocolate or vanilla buttercream for this pumpkin chocolate cake.
- Dark Chocolate Ganache: Swap the semi-sweet chips for dark chocolate chips with a high percentage of cacao for a more intense chocolate flavor.
- White Chocolate Ganache: Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips to create a white ganache topping.
How to Make This Harvest Cake
Even though everything is made from scratch, this cake comes together pretty easily. To get started, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
- Step 1: Make the cake batter. Add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the water, oil, sour cream, and eggs and mix with an electric hand or stand mixer until smooth.
- Step 2: Pour batter into the pans and bake. Divide the cake batter between your two greased cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pans before transferring to a wire rack to continue to cool.
- Step 3: Make the filling. Add the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and mix until smooth.
- Step 4: Top the first cake layer. Add a layer of pumpkin cream cheese filling to the top of one of the cooled cakes.
- Step 5: Add the other cake. Place the second cake on top of the first one so that the filling is in the middle.
- Step 6: Make the ganache. Add whipping cream to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate chips. Allow the mixture to sit for 4 minutes and then whisk until smooth.
- Step 7: Add the ganache. Top the cake with the chocolate ganache and spread it around.
- Step 8: Decorate and serve. Add your toppings of choice to the cake and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some delicious ways to enjoy this harvest cake:
- Enjoy a slice with a hot cup of this Vanilla Milk Steamer or this Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate.
- Instead of fruit, top the cake with Salted Caramel and Candied Pecans.
- Serve this gorgeous cake as part of your holiday dessert table along with this Apple Pie and this Salted Caramel Pecan Pie.
Expert Tips
- Preheat your oven for 30 minutes. This allows the oven temperature to stabilize and makes for a better baked cake.
- Place the cake on the center rack. Baking the cake in the center of the oven allows the heat to distribute evenly.
- Allow the cake to cool. Be sure the cake has cooled completely before adding the filling so it doesn’t melt.
- Store at room temperature or freeze. Cover the cake and store at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also freeze individual slices of cake for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Why did my chocolate pumpkin cake turn out dense?
A dense cake can be the result of overmixing the batter or using cold ingredients. Be sure to avoid overmixing, and stop once the batter is just smooth. Also, be sure to bring the cream cheese and eggs to room temperature for smoother mixing.
Why is my pumpkin chocolate cake dry?
A dry cake can be caused by using too much flour or overbaking. Be sure to measure your flour properly using the spoon and level method, and check the cake for doneness after 20 minutes.
More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
Harvest Cake
This decadent Harvest Cake combines moist chocolate cake with a pumpkin cream cheese filling and a rich chocolate ganache topping for the perfect fall dessert!
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Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 565kcal
Equipment
- 8" round cake pans
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- ⅔ cup cooking oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 eggs
Pumpkin Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup pumpin puree
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Ganache
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Rapsberries blackberries, blueberries, pears, nuts...whatever you like!
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 8 inch round cake pans.
- In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add in wet ingredients: water, oil, sour cream, and eggs. With a hand or stand mixer, mix until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between cake pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until top springs back when touched.
- Cool in pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
- Mix all ingredients until well combined and smooth.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a small saucepan heat whipping cream to a simmer. Turn off heat.
- Add chocolate chips and let sit for 4 minutes.
- Whisk until smooth
Assemble Cake
- To assemble cake, layer one round cake, pumpkin cream cheese filling, second round cake, chocolate ganache, and cake toppers.
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="JJxyqHQn" upload-date="2023-10-24T05:13:05.000Z" name="Harvest Cake Tutorial.mp4" description="This is not your standard, run-of-the-mill chocolate cake. This cake has a pumpkin cream cheese filling, chocolate ganache, and fresh fruit topping. It is the perfect perfect cake for the fall months. You can really dress your cake with whatever fall fruits you'd like - seedless grapes, blueberries, and even nuts are really delicious on this chocolate pumpkin cake." player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
- Preheat your oven for 30 minutes: This allows the oven temperature to stabilize and makes for a better baked cake.
- Place the cake on the center rack: Baking the cake in the center of the oven allows the heat to distribute evenly.
- Allow the cake to cool: Be sure the cake has cooled completely before adding the filling so it doesn’t melt.
- Store at room temperature or freeze: Cover the cake and store at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also freeze individual slices of cake for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 1643IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg
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Josie says
The cake came out good, the filling has too much pumpkin. Looked nothing like the creamy white filling in the picture. The chocolate topping, ganache was just so,so. I ended up tossing out this filling and made my own cream cheese filling.
Emily Kemp says
Wow these photos are stunning!