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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Pumpkin chocolate chip cake with moist orange-spiced layers and dark chocolate chips baked into the crumb. Finished with a dark chocolate cream cheese frosting swirled over the top and sides.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cake
  • 2.5 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1.5 cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1.5 cup dark chocolate chips fold in
For chocolate cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 0.25 cup butter
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.5 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin chocolate chip layers
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease two 9-inch round pans, so the cakes release cleanly after baking.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar until creamy and lighter in color.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, then beat in pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth and thick.
  4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, then fold into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.
  5. Fold in dark chocolate chips until evenly distributed through the batter.
  6. Divide batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Cool the cakes completely in the pans, then remove from pans so frosting won’t melt.
Make and apply the chocolate cream cheese frosting
  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar until smooth, then mix in cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk until spreadable.
  2. Frost between layers and all over the cake, swirling to create a thick, dark chocolate finish on the top and sides.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, make sure the cake layers cool completely before frosting; if needed, chill layers 20 minutes to firm them up. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days—frosted cake freezes up to 2 months. For a dairy-light option, use vegan butter and dairy-free cream cheese in the frosting (texture may be slightly softer).