Easy Homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

Embrace the cozy flavors of autumn with our incredibly easy and utterly delicious chocolate pumpkin cake recipe. This homemade-from-scratch sheet cake is a true celebration of fall, featuring a wonderfully soft, moist crumb bursting with warm pumpkin spices and decadent mini chocolate chips. Crowned with a rich and tangy pumpkin cream cheese frosting, it’s the perfect dessert to share at your Thanksgiving feast, a cozy weekend gathering, or simply to enjoy with a warm cup of coffee.

While this delightful dessert is entirely made from scratch using simple, wholesome ingredients, don’t let that intimidate you! It comes together surprisingly quickly and effortlessly, making it a fantastic choice for both seasoned bakers and beginners. If you’re looking for a semi-homemade option that uses a cake mix base, you might want to explore my Pumpkin Cake Recipe (With Cake Mix) and simply swap out the yellow or spice cake mix for a chocolate cake mix to get a similar flavor profile with less fuss.

Why This Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is a Must-Try

This isn’t just another pumpkin cake; it’s a harmonious blend of rich chocolate and fragrant pumpkin, elevated by a luscious frosting. Here’s why it deserves a spot on your baking list:

• Incredibly Moist & Tender: The combination of pumpkin puree and buttermilk ensures a supremely moist cake that practically melts in your mouth. You won’t find a dry crumb here!
• Perfect Flavor Balance: The subtle earthiness of pumpkin, the warmth of autumn spices, and the deep, comforting taste of chocolate chips create a flavor profile that’s both familiar and exciting. It’s a match made in heaven for fall.
• Easy to Make: Despite being from scratch, the recipe is straightforward, involving just a few simple steps. It’s designed for busy bakers who still want to impress with homemade goodness.
• Versatile for Any Occasion: Whether it’s a casual family dinner, a festive holiday gathering, or a potluck, this sheet cake is always a crowd-pleaser. It travels well and serves many.
• Seasonal Favorite: Pumpkin and chocolate together just scream “Fall!” It’s the quintessential dessert for Thanksgiving, Halloween parties, or any autumn celebration.

Key Ingredients for Your Homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Crafting this moist and flavorful chocolate pumpkin cake relies on a few essential ingredients. Each plays a crucial role in achieving that perfect texture and taste:

• Eggs: Use large, room temperature eggs. They emulsify better with other ingredients, leading to a smoother batter and a lighter, airier cake texture.
• Oil: Vegetable or canola oil is ideal as it contributes significantly to the cake’s moisture and creates a tender crumb. Unlike butter, oil remains liquid at room temperature, keeping your cake moist for longer.
• Buttermilk: This acidic ingredient reacts with baking soda to help the cake rise, resulting in a wonderfully soft and fluffy texture. You can use store-bought buttermilk or easily make your own (see tips below).
• Pumpkin Puree: This is the star of our cake! Ensure you use 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling contains added sugars and spices, which will alter the flavor and consistency of your cake.
• All-Purpose Flour: Your standard all-purpose flour works perfectly here, providing the necessary structure for the cake.
• Granulated Sugar: White granulated sugar sweetens the cake and helps to create that desired tender crumb.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This provides the rich chocolatey flavor. Using unsweetened cocoa allows you to control the sweetness of the final cake.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: The blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves truly brings out the taste of fall. You can use a store-bought blend for convenience or mix your own at home to adjust to your preferred spice level.
• Baking Powder: A leavening agent that helps the cake rise and achieve a fluffy texture. Ensure it’s fresh for optimal results.
• Baking Soda: Another leavening agent that reacts with the buttermilk and cocoa powder, contributing to the cake’s lift and tenderness. Freshness is key here too!
• Mini Chocolate Chips: These tiny chips are essential for an even distribution of chocolate throughout each bite. Regular-sized chocolate chips tend to sink and clump in sheet cakes, so mini chips are highly recommended for the best texture and appearance.

Creative Variations to Elevate Your Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This chocolate pumpkin cake is fantastic as is, but it’s also wonderfully adaptable! Feel free to customize it with these delightful variations:

• Boost the Chocolate Flavor: For an even deeper chocolate experience, mix in 1-2 teaspoons of high-quality espresso powder (instant coffee powder works too) into the cake batter. It won’t make your cake taste like coffee, but it will significantly enhance the cocoa notes.
• Adjust Chocolate Chip Quantity: If you’re a serious chocolate lover, you can increase the quantity of mini chocolate chips to ⅓ cup. However, for a balanced flavor, I find that ¼ cup is more than enough to get that delightful chocolatey surprise in every bite.
• Cake Decorating Extravaganza: Once your cake is iced, the possibilities for decoration are endless!
  • Top it off with colorful Homemade Sprinkles or a scattering of extra mini chocolate chips.
  • For an elegant touch, dust with ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice using a decorative cake stencil.
  • Create beautiful edible garnishes like Chocolate Leaves (With Mint).
  • Drizzle Easy Chocolate Ganache in an appealing diagonal pattern for extra richness.
  • For sophisticated floral designs, adorn your cake with delicate Royal Icing Flowers (Sugar Flowers), elegant Fondant Flowers, or vibrant Buttercream Flowers (With Russian Piping Tips).
  • Achieve a rustic, autumnal look by arranging a border of crunchy Candied Nuts (Glazed Nuts) or glistening Sugared Cranberries (Candied Cranberries).
• Explore Different Frostings: While pumpkin cream cheese frosting is divine, don’t hesitate to pair this cake with other delicious frostings. Some fantastic options include Easy Maple Frosting (4 Ingredients), Caramel Frosting (3 Ingredients), Brown Sugar Frosting (So Fluffy), or Almond Butter Frosting (Easy).
• Layer Cake Transformation: If you prefer a show-stopping layer cake over a sheet cake, simply divide the batter between two 8-inch round cake pans and adjust baking time as needed.
• Thinner Frosting Consistency: For a lighter, more spreadable frosting, gradually add a small amount of milk (about 1 teaspoon at a time) to your prepared cream cheese frosting until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Add Chopped Nuts: For an extra layer of texture and nutty flavor, fold in about ½ cup of finely chopped nuts into the cake batter. Excellent choices include peanuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, or almonds.
• Other Delightful Add-ins: Get creative with other mix-ins like shredded coconut, a swirl of peanut butter, festive sprinkles, or sweet caramel bits for an extra touch of indulgence.

How to Make This Easy Chocolate Pumpkin Cake from Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide

Baking this delightful chocolate pumpkin cake is a straightforward process. Follow these simple steps for a truly rewarding baking experience:

1. Prepare the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the room temperature eggs, oil, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree. Whisk them together thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well-combined. This ensures a consistent base for your cake.
2. Incorporate the Dry Ingredients: To the wet mixture, gradually add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix these ingredients until they are just combined. Be careful not to over-mix, as this can lead to a dense or chewy cake. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
3. Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently stir in the mini chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Mini chips are preferred as they integrate better and prevent sinking.
4. Prepare and Pour: Pour the luscious cake batter into your prepared rectangle cake pan (a 9×13 inch pan works perfectly). Ensure the pan is greased and floured, or lined with parchment paper, to prevent sticking. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan.
5. Bake to Perfection: Place the cake pan in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool the Cake: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack. This is crucial before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
7. Prepare the Frosting: While the cake bakes and cools, prepare your creamy pumpkin cream cheese frosting. Ensure your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature for the best results.
8. Frost and Enjoy: Once the cake is fully cooled, generously spread the homemade pumpkin cream cheese frosting over the top with a spatula. Slice, serve, and savor every delicious bite!

Expert Tips and Techniques for a Flawless Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Achieving a perfect chocolate pumpkin cake is easy with these insider tips and techniques:

• Mini Chips for the Win: Always use mini chocolate chips instead of regular-sized ones for this sheet cake. Mini chips distribute more evenly throughout the batter, ensuring every slice gets a consistent amount of chocolate without the chips sinking to the bottom.
• Homemade Buttermilk Substitute: No buttermilk on hand? No problem! You can easily make your own. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a 1-cup measuring cup. Fill the remainder with whole milk. Give it a gentle stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it slightly curdles. Use this homemade substitute as needed in the recipe.
• Customize Your Spices: The amount of pumpkin pie spice is a guideline. Feel free to adjust it to your personal preference. Love a strong spice kick? Add a little more. Prefer it milder? Reduce the quantity.
• Pumpkin Puree vs. Pie Filling: This is a critical distinction! Never substitute pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is simply cooked, blended pumpkin, while pumpkin pie filling has added sugars, spices, and thickeners, which will drastically alter the cake’s taste and texture.
• Room Temperature Ingredients are Key: For the smoothest batter and best emulsification, ensure all your dairy ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, butter, cream cheese) are at room temperature. This helps everything mix together seamlessly, creating a lighter, more uniform cake.
• Avoid Over-mixing: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined. Over-mixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can result in a tough, chewy, or dense cake. A few small lumps in the batter are perfectly acceptable.
• Utilize a Spatula: A flexible rubber spatula is your best friend for spreading the batter evenly in the pan and for applying the frosting smoothly to the cooled cake.
• Gradual Sugar Addition for Frosting: When making the cream cheese frosting, add the powdered sugar gradually, about ½ cup at a time. This prevents the sugar from flying everywhere and ensures a smooth, lump-free frosting.
• Unsalted Butter is Best: Always use unsalted butter for baking, especially in frosting. This allows you to control the total sodium content of your dessert and prevents it from becoming too salty.
• Full-Fat for Flavor: For the ultimate creaminess, richness, and flavor, opt for full-fat cream cheese and whole milk (if using for buttermilk substitute or thinning frosting).
• Check Leavening Agents: For best results, ensure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. Expired leavening agents lose their potency, which can lead to a flat cake that doesn’t rise properly.

Storage and Make-Ahead Advice

Proper storage is essential to keep your chocolate pumpkin cake fresh and delicious. This cake also makes a fantastic make-ahead dessert!

• Room Temperature: Due to the cream cheese frosting, this cake is best kept refrigerated. However, it can safely stay out at room temperature for up to 2-3 hours, especially if your kitchen is cool.
• Refrigerate: For longer storage, transfer any leftover cake slices or the entire cake (covered loosely or in an airtight container) to the refrigerator. It will stay fresh and moist for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: To freeze, wrap individual slices or the entire unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil, and place in a freezer-safe container or bag. It can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. If frozen with frosting, the texture might change slightly upon thawing.
• Make Ahead: This cake is perfect for preparing in advance! You can bake the cake up to 3 days beforehand, let it cool completely, and store it (unfrosted) in a sealed container in the fridge. Frost just before serving. Alternatively, you can bake and freeze the unfrosted cake in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before frosting and serving.

Recipe FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

More Autumnal Delights: Other Pumpkin Desserts to Try

If you’re a fan of pumpkin, you’ll love these other easy and delicious recipes from our collection:

• Easy Pumpkin Pie (5 Ingredients)
• Easy Pumpkin Cake (With Cake Mix)
• Easy Pumpkin Bars (Cream Cheese Frosting)
• Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts (With Cake Mix)
• Easy Pumpkin Cookies (With Cake Mix)

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (From Scratch)