Like so many people in the US, pumpkin spice sparks an inexplicable amount of joy in me. More than anything, it’s because pumpkin spice signals the start of fall and the holiday season–which is my favorite time of the year. Strangely though, despite the millions of pumpkin spice products out there, it’s actually hard to find something that’s good, let alone delicious. So instead of hunting down something that may or may not exist, I decided to create my own pumpkin dessert that I wish existed out there in the marketplace.
This chocolate pumpkin cake is super light, not too sweet, and layered with lots of flavors. The cake is so light because it’s based on a sponge cake recipe. Sponge cakes are made with a higher ratio of eggs to flour. Its airy quality comes from folding the main ingredients with whipped egg whites. However, even though this cake is very fluffy, it’s also incredibly moist because of the cocoa powder and pumpkin puree.
To avoid weighing down the cake base I opted for a light mascarpone cream made with whipped heavy cream and a little maple syrup.
This cake is more akin to a dessert you’d find at an Asian bakery, but the flavors are distinctly rooted in the American pumpkin spice traditions. It strikes the rare chord of feeling both delicate and rustic, which I feel is perfect at the onset of fall and the holidays.
More recipes with pumpkin:
Pumpkin Coffee Muffins
Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Pie
Pumpkin Butter
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream
- Total Time: 1 hr 30min
- Yield: One 9″ square cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
Description
An airy chocolate pumpkin cake frosted with a simple whipped mascarpone cream.
Ingredients
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
2/3 cup (75g) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (10g) cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon (3.75g) baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs, separated
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1/4 (0.75g) teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (112g) pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon (1g) vanilla extract
Whipped Mascarpone Cream
1 cup (225g) mascarpone, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons (32g) maple syrup
3/4 cup (180g) heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
1. Prepare a 9″ square baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and oil all sides. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C.
2. In a bowl, sift the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and spices together. Mix until combined.
3. Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside.
4. In another bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs yolks until a lemony color is achieved. Slowly mix in half of the sugar and all of the salt. Whisk until pale yellow. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix.
5. Whip the egg whites with the whisk attachment. When the eggs become frothy, slowly add the rest of the sugar one teaspoon at a time. Whip until stiff peaks are formed.
6. Add a tablespoon of the whipped egg whites to the egg yolk-dry ingredients to loosen the mixture. Fold in the rest of the egg whites in two additions. Pour into the prepared baking pan, and smooth the top with a spatula to evenly distribute the batter.
7. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely inside the mold on a wire rack.
Whipped Mascarpone Cream
1. Place the softened mascarpone cheese and maple syrup into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on medium until slightly whipped, about 1 minute. Then slowly add the heavy cream. Whip until medium peaks form.*
To Assemble
1. Once the cake is completely cool, spread the whipped mascarpone cream over the cake. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
Notes
*Medium whipped peaks are peaks that form distinctly when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl, but then slightly droop afterwards.
Keywords: pumpkin spice, cake, chocolate, sponge cake, mascarpone, heavy cream, maple syrup
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