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Chocolate Layer Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing

Marisa
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Course Dessert
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar or additional ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup brewed coffee
  • 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. baking powder

Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3 TBSP pumpkin puree*
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1-2 TBSP unsweetened almond milk or enough to reach desired consistency

Chocolate Topping (Optional)

  • ¾ cup chocolate chips
  • 2 TBSP coconut oil or butter
  • ½ tsp. vanilla

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
  • Cut parchment paper in a circle to fit on the bottoms of two 8" round cake pans. Spray the parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray. 
  • Make cake: in a large mixing bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients together using an electric mixer. Slowly add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until everything is well-combined. 
  • Pour the cake batter evenly among the two round pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Rotate the cakes halfway through baking. 
  • Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 30 minutes in their pans. 
  • After, flip the pans upside down onto a cooling rack to remove cakes from the pans. Peel the parchment papers off of the cakes. Allow to cool on the cooling racks until completely cooled, about 30-40 minutes. 
  • Once cakes are cooled, make the frosting: in a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and softened butter with an electric mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the canned pumpkin (or cocoa powder/peanut butter if making a variation), vanilla, and powdered sugar, and continue mixing. Add more powdered sugar or milk until desired texture is reached. 
  • Place one of the cakes upside down onto a serving dish. Spread about 1/3 of the frosting evenly over top. Top with the remaining cake. 
  • Spread the remaining icing on top of the cake and around the sides, smoothing out as best as you can. 
  • If making the chocolate coating: place chocolate chips and coconut oil/butter in a small microwavable bowl and microwave in 20-second increments (stirring after each one) until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla, and then drizzle (or spread) the melted chocolate over top of the cake. 

Notes

*Recipe variations:
Chocolate - replace the pumpkin and ground cinnamon with  ½ cup cocoa powder
Peanut Butter - replace the pumpkin with  ½ cup peanut butter and reduce the cinnamon to 1 tsp. 
Plain - do not add the pumpkin or cinnamon, and increase the vanilla to 1 TBSP