The perfect All Hallows Eve spooky soiree centerpiece! This fun, festive, deliciously moist three layer Halloween chocolate pumpkin cake with orange cream cheese frosting will be the talk of the town.

OMG you guys. Look what I made!!! A Halloween Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting all decked out for All Hallows' Eve. I'm SO EXCITED!!! My amazing friend Rene loaned me her daughter Danni's recipe for the upcoming holiday and it. is. delicious.

If I Can Bake, So Can You!
I've never made an awesome looking cake like this before in my life (I'm still very proud of my Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake but that's not a three layer frosted shinanagin soooo...). Basically what I'm trying to say is if I can do this, you absolutely can too. The actual recipe is super easy to throw together! A few tips (we'll get to those) but otherwise wonderfully basic. Oh and that frosting? Definitely was licking the spoon on that one.

Halloween Tangent
I don't even know what's happening you guys. I love this Holiday, as is apparent by this fabulous Halloween Chocolate Pumpkin Cake. Even so, I just can't seem to get it in gear this year. I haven't even been into costume shopping! I'm thinking it's the wedding planning? Just a lot going on maybe.
However, I will say, I've been thoroughly enjoying the drifting red leaves blowing around in the breeze outside, coating the ground and even my car! I've also been rocking the scary movies evenings. So maybe it's just a little more of a laid back Halloween this year but sometimes, that's just exactly what you need.

Tips and Tricks
OK anyway, onto best tricks to make the perfect Halloween Chocolate Pumpkin Cake!
Tip 1: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature and the butter is softened. The butter can almost be to the point of melting, or else the wet mix for the cake batter won't set up quite right and you'll get unsavory lumps.
Tip 2: All the sifting. Sift the dry mix together and sift the powdered sugar into the frosting just to make sure everything is extra creamy and delicious.

Tip 3: All the chilling. Definitely rest/chill the cake layers until completely cooled (at least 2 hours) so that when you frost it, your scrumptious orange cream cheese concoction doesn't melt.
Tip 4: Once you've frosted the cake, chill it again to let it set up before dripping the chocolate glaze otherwise you'll get a melty mess!
Tip 5: Decorate to your heart's content. Seriously. All the candy you guys.

Alright Ms. Danni, I hope you love this version of your Halloween Chocolate Pumpkin Cake as much as I do!!! There's definitely a slice coming your way. And if any of you have any questions about how to make this magnificent dessert, just shoot me a comment below!


Halloween Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 8 inch, 3 layer cake 1x
Description
The perfect All Hallows Eve spooky soiree centerpiece! This fun, festive, deliciously moist three layer Halloween chocolate pumpkin cake with orange cream cheese frosting will be the talk of the town.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 ½ cups + 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoons nutmeg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups granulated white sugar
- 1 ⅛ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
For the Frosting*
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
For the Chocolate Glaze
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease three 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, until fluffy.
- Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the egg mixture, blending well after each addition until completely combined
- Evenly divide the batter among the pans and bake for 35 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours, or wrap up in two layers of plastic wrap and let cool over night.
- Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese, butter, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Sift in the confectioners' sugar and continue mixing until light and creamy - about 3 minutes.
- Assemble the cake: When the cake layers are cooled, carefully cut and trim the rounded tops of the cake layers with a long, serrated knife to make them flat. Place one of the cake layers with the trimmed side up on a plate or cake stand. With an offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top of this frosted layer, again trimmed side up, and spread frosting. Add on the final layer, trimmed side down to make the cake even, and top with remaining frosting, evenly spreading on the top and sides of the cake. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to an hour, until frosting is set.
- When the frosting is set, make the chocolate glaze: In a microwave, melt chocolate and cream in 30 second increments, whisking together until thoroughly combined. The glaze should be warm and drizzly in consistency, but not steaming hot. If it is steaming hot, let it cool a bit or it will melt the frosting off the cake.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate glaze around the edges of the cake to create the drips on the sides of the cake, adding a little more or less to each drip to make them different lengths. Fill in the middle of the top of the cake, using an offset spatula to even out the glaze. Chill for 10 minutes before adding any sprinkles, candies, or toppings you desire.
Notes
*This amount of frosting ingredients will give you enough to frost the tops of each 3 layers and do a crumb layer for the rustic "naked cake" look. If you want to fully frost the cake, double the ingredients for the frosting to ensure you have enough.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Jess@CookingisMySport says
This cake was absolutely fantastic. I loved the naked icing on it. Well done. Happy Halloween 😀
Aberdeen says
Thank you!!! ????
papercottonink says
This is gorgeous! I love that naked frosting - really beautiful and it looks like something even I can do. Okay, I'm going to give this one a try!
Dan says
Looks terrific, makes me miss the fall. Good job chef.