What’s better than chocolate and pumpkin for a fall cake? I’ve made this chocolate pumpkin swirl cake as both a bundt and a loaf. Both are easy options, and you’ll find a fun pumpkin themed loaf pan below!
I first made this Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake with my friend Andrew Zimmern.
I recently made a pumpkin pie and roasted several pumpkins and squash, so I have lots of great gourd puree on hand and this is one of my all-time favorite cakes, so I wanted to share it with you.
The chocolate pumpkin bundt cake I made with Andrew has a rather thin line of chocolate streusel and I went for a bolder chocolate layer when I put the recipe in my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes. That is reflected in the recipe and directions below. You can roast your own pumpkin or use canned, either is terrific for this easy and tasty cake.
Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf Cake
I also made half of this recipe in a fancy loaf pan and look at these results. I love how it turned out! Here is a similar pumpkin themed loaf pan. It just needs to be a 6-cup capacity for half the recipe. Here is the exact pan I used in the photos. If you have a little extra batter you can make an additional mini loaf!
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Ingredients
- Roasted pumpkin puree (canned is fine, but I encourage you make your own!)
- Fall spices: All Spice, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice
- Sour cream or whole milk creme fraiche
- Dark cocoa powder
Find the full list of ingredients in the recipe below!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (215g) sugar
- 1 cup (235g) brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 15 oz. (425g) canned or roasted pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup (185g) sour cream (whole milk yogurt or creme fraiche also work)
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract make homemade vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (295g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp all-spice
- ½ tsp ginger
Chocolate Layer
- 2 tbsp (20g) dark cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Topping
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt Pan (in the video). I used a Kugelhopf Bundt Pan in the photos in this post, because I like the shape, but it is slightly smaller and I trimmed the bottom before flipping it out of the pan.
- Prepare the cake batter in a large bowl, combining the oil, sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Once they are well combined add the pumpkin puree, vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until it all comes together in a smooth batter.
- Pour 1/3 of the batter into a separate bowl and stir in the cocoa powder and cinnamon.
- Pour 1/3 of the pumpkin cake batter into the prepared pan. Pour in 1/3 of the chocolate batter over the pumpkin batter. This layer will be thin. Repeat this layering with remaining pumpkin and chocolate cake batters in 2 more additions.
- Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes (If you use the kugelhopf pan, it may bake a bit faster, so check closer to 50 minutes) or until a tester comes out with moist crumb.
- Allow to cool in pan for about 15 minutes, then turn cake out onto a serving dish. Once the cake is cool combine confectioners’ sugar and pumpkin spice for the topping and sprinkle it over the top of the cake.
Any dairy free suggestions instead of sour cream or whole milk yogurt?
Almond milk or coconut yogurt?
If I bake this in a 9×5 loaf pan, how long should it bake for? and how long does it keep out at room temp or the fridge?
Great question! A 12-cup Bundt will hold more batter, so you may not be able to use all of it when switching to the loaf pan. Only fill it to a scant 3/4, so the batter doesn’t go over the top. It will take just slightly less time to bake because it doesn’t have the tube in the middle to provide heat. Be sure to test the very center of the pan for doneness.
If you have batter left over, you can bake it in muffin pans, which will obviously bake much faster, so keep an eye on them.
At room temperature it can last a few days, and then a few in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Do you need to add more flour or make any adjustments when omitting the chocolate?
Thank you! The cake is delicious and moist. Haven’t had anyone try it and not enjoy
I love a Bundt cake and made this one to share with friends and family. It was a hit. Just the right combination of pumpkin, spices and chocolate. Plus it’s quick and easy and that’s a win for me.
I made the swirled pumpkin/chocolate cake for family and friends. They all loved it! Even those who aren’t fans of pumpkin. Just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. The chocolate added to the pumpkin base added an extra special touch. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. So good! Will definitely make it again.
This cake is awesome! Took it into work and everyone just raved about it. A great cake for your fall repertoire.
This is perfect- moist, great flavor, holds up well, beautiful and easy to make! I followed the recipe as written (this version, not the Zoe Bakes Cakes version!)
This is an excellent recipe. I made this for a church coffee & people loved it. I was asked to give the recipe for this. I highly recommend it. Easy to make & moist.
I made this cake earlier this week, and it was fantastic. It was moist and delicious and even better on the second day. This one is a keeper and will definitely be in my fall rotation.
Do you think this would work with GF one-for-one flour? I want to make it for someone who can’t have gluten.
Hi Jk, Zoe hasn’t tried it herself, but she thinks this would be a good cake to try with a gluten-free 1 for 1 flour. If you do end up trying it, please come back and rate the recipe to let us know how it went! Happy baking!
Has anyone made this as cupcakes? If so any advice?
Hi Judy, we know a few people have made this cake into mini bundt cakes! The bake time will depend on the size of your cupcakes and your oven, but perhaps start checking them for doneness around 20 minutes. Usually you don’t want to fill the batter up more than 2/3 of the cupcake liners. Please come back and let us know how it goes!
What vegetable oil do you recommend?
Hi Uma, any vegetable oil will do! You can also make it with avocado oil or canola oil. Enjoy!
Thanks. Just about to make it with avocado oil!
I made the cake using the sour cream called for in this recipe (modified from Zoe’s book)..I used 1 tsp instant espresso called for in the book and 1 tsp cinnamon for the mocha batter. Instead of the 1 Tbsp vanilla called for in the book, I used a generous 1 1/2 tsp (think it could have used a bit more). I baked it in the Nordicware gold anniversary bundt pan (on a sheet pan as recommended in the book) for 1 hr & it was perfectly done. I would make it again and slices frozen for 1 week & thawed overnite before serving were just as good, maybe even better. I sprinkled the spice & confectioner’s sugar over the cake while it was still warm so it could better infuse.
Delicious! I made it in a 9×13 for simplicity and used 5% Fage yogurt instead of sour cream. The flavor and texture were both incredible! My whole family gobbled it up!
I am confused; in your book you call for evaporated milk but this (updated) version calls for sour cream..which am I to use?
Also, the book’s recipe calls for espresso powder but this recipe omits that
and calls for cinnamon to be combined with the chocolate.
Please advise…I want to make this today.
Hello. If I use the 6 cup loaf pan, what is the cooking time at 350 deg? Thank you
Is the chocolate layer a little bitter because it’s just unsweetened cocoa and cinnamon?
The chocolate layer is the cocoa and cinnamon *added to* the 1/3 of the cake batter you separate out.
Can you make this is in a 12 cup bundt pan?
Hi Victoria, yes you can!
I was slightly intimidated by the look of this cake because I thought the swirl would be complicated. It could not be easier and it is such a delicious, moist cake. It’s my new go-to for fall!
Tried it today , everyone loved it, thanks for sharing
I’ve made this twice, once as a bundt and the second time divided into two loaf pans. Especially when made with Valrhona cocoa powder, this bread is so moist and delicious! We love it.
I made this for Thanksgiving this year, it was a hit! My s/o especially loved it and has requested that I make it again. The cake is moist but not stodgy. I cooked it in a large bundt pan for 15 more minutes, checking with a skewer to see if it is done, and also rotating the pan halfway through baking. I think I will experiment with more chocolate layers next time. I also got a really lovely “swirl” through the different layers, it was so pretty!!! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi! Can I use Dutch process cocoa if I don’t have dark cocoa powder? Thank you!!!
Hi Kim, you can absolutely use Dutch processed cocoa. Enjoy!
I meant to rate it! Definitely 5 stars!
I made this yesterday with my 4 year old daughter. She enjoyed tasting all the ingredients, cracking eggs and grating nutmeg. I love that this cake is not too sweet and the pumpkin really shines through. It’s delicious and I will be making it again. We have also really enjoyed watching your show together. Thanks for the recipe!
How long will this cake keep and should it be stored in the fridge?
In the oven now!
Hi Jaime,
Enjoy the cake!!!
Thanks, Zoë
Delicious, lite and moist cake, looks pretty impressive with the swirls. I followed the recipe exactly, baked for 1 hour and it came out perfect.
Hi Zoe
What is the ingredients for the chocolate layer you used in the video.
https://andrewzimmern.com/2017/11/18/andrew-zimmern-cooks-pumpkin-bundt-cake-zoe-francois/ has the streusel
I love pumpkin cake! Looks so delicious and that swirls are so beautiful!