November 20, 2022

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

This is not a combination I would have come up with by myself, but my daughter assured me it's a delicious combination. I always make a dessert for the weekend, so this weekend, we gave it a try.

I had a can of organic pumpkin in my pantry, and used that instead of winter squash (my usual substitute for pumpkin). I was surprised at how orange it made the batter!


Here's the recipe. It's an adaptation of several recipes I found online.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

15-ounce can of pureed pumpkin
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup soft butter
2 cups flour
1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup whey, buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir
1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Blend pumpkin, sugar, eggs, and butter. Add flour, spices, soda, salt, and liquid. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45 minutes or until done. Cool about 15 minutes and turn out of pan onto a cake plate.

Dan thought it was really good, but I thought it was just okay. I love chocolate chips, but I think pumpkin would go better with dried cranberries. Either way, I liked that it was definitely not just pumpkin spice!

Recipe Notes:
  • As mentioned above, I would try dried fruit as a substitute for the chocolate chips.
  • If I make it again, I'll use only one cup of chocolate chips.
  • Next time I'll try it with two eggs instead of three.

Is anyone else trying a new twist on traditional seasonal items? Care to share?

14 comments:

Ed said...

Although it looks good, I'm not sure my kids would let me make anything other than pumpkin pie right now. I think I've made four or five since I canned the hubbard squash this fall.

I really don't have any twists. I used to make a pumpkin roll which was essentially a thin pumpkin cake made on a cookie sheet and then when cool, rolled up with a cream cheese frosting spread across it. It was always a crowd pleaser but I probably haven't made it in 15 years or more. Funny how sometimes recipes just kind of slip away from me at times. I think I need to dust it off again assuming I still have it.

Leigh said...

Ed, I think kids in particular are sticklers for traditions! True confession - I'm not a fan of pumpkin! Never liked pumpkin pie until Baskins and Robbins came out with their pumpkin pie ice cream, lol. My son and his family serve sweet potato pie in lieu of the traditional pumpkin pie, and I agree with them that it's better :) Dan likes pumpkin pie though, but he's just as happy with a winter squash pie dubbed "pumpkin."

That said(!) thanks so much for mentioning the pumpkin roll. I've never tried a roll cake, but they do look festive, which is perfect for the party season.

daisy g said...

It looks so good! I hope y'all enjoyed it.

I'm making my version of pumpkin pie. It's an allergy-friendly recipe that has no gluten, dairy or sugar. It turned out so delicious that it's become a tradition. Even my sugar-lovin' hubby enjoyed it!

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Blessings...

Mama Pea said...

That looks delish! But similar to what Ed wrote, I have a hard time convincing my family to try a "different" pumpkin dessert especially at Thanksgiving. I'm surrounded by old-fashioned pumpkin pie lovers (with whipped cream, of course) and the recipe I've wanted to try for years (a frozen pumpkin dessert) still hasn't made it to the table!

Leigh said...

Daisy, I'll have to take a look at your recipe. :) I have a recipe for sweet potato pie that is dairy and sugar free, and is very yummy. With homegrown winter squash/pumpkin, I find my puree is very soupy compared to the commercial stuff that is pretty solid. So no milk or half-n-half is needed to make it pourable.

Mama Pea, family preferences always win out, lol. Have you tried your dessert on a different day? Although I have to admit that frozen desserts in winter somehow seem out of season. :)

Rosalea said...

Looks good! After steaming or baking my pumpkin into submission, I mash the mush, then cook it down further in an heavy enameled cast iron pot on the wood stove. It gets thicker as the extra moisture evaporates out, and just needs a stir around periodically.

Leigh said...

Rosalea, great idea to thicken pumpkin!

Ed said...

If you do try making a pumpkin roll, here is one secret. While the cake is still warm, place it on a clean dish towel and roll it up until it cools off. This will help it retain it's shape after you add the filling and roll it up again without splitting.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Leigh, this recipe (or a version of it) will make for great muffins as well. We have had them several times.

Leigh said...

Ed, thanks so much for the tip. I was wondering about that and thinking that, knowing me, I'd end up with it falling apart!

TB, glad to hear there's a vote for this combo! I think muffins, cupcakes, pancakes, cookies, would all be great possibilities. :)

Nina said...

I have a similar recipe for Pumpkin Bread - I swap use less chocolate chips and add 1 cup of walnuts. You could probably use pecans with excellent results, because
"pecans" :) I've tried raisins, currants and apricots - in different batches, and it really became too much sweetness in a fairly sweet cake. My family loves it with the choc.chips and walnuts though. I understand the concept of a pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice, but haven't seen it in the shops. I just use cinnamon, ginger and freshly grated nutmeg, to taste.

Leigh said...

Nina, family tastes usually win out! I like your ideas of currants and apricots. Dan isn't much for nuts in cakes, although I think pumpkin and any kind of nut would be quite good. I confess that as much as I adore chocolate, I find I don't care for it with certain other flavors. Like chocolate and raspberry. Chocolate and pumpkin isn't as bad, but it will never make my list of favorites. :)

I'm not sure how I ended up with pumpkin pie spice (which is quite common around here). I think it's the same price as the individual spices, and so was an economic decision.

Anonymous said...

Not so much a share as your comment on the kiddos being sticklers for traditional food.

About three weeks ago I had a friend up and I made beautiful apple crisp very traditional used honey all the good stuff and cut down the amount of sweetness tremendously. But I’ve always made this way and it was a traditional dish in our house once Fall came. Long story long my son fast approaching 50 decided to trim down a bit and had reached his goal. My friend left from her visit and I was left with too much Crisp for just myself. So I happened by my sons place one day to deliver eggs and a few items. Leftover Crisp in hand to share. His wife expressed some doubt in anyone eating it as the family had cut out regular desserts . I smiled and said then share with a friend.

Last piece of the puzzle. I saw my daughter-in-law again a couple of days ago and she gave me a lot of leftover egg cartons and an empty container that once held the Crisp. Explaining that to her surprise that my son had enjoyed it all. To which I replied well that might have something to do with the time of the year and I made this every Autumn and the kids loved it. And yes even with indulging in a little fresh Crisp my son is as trim as he was before he ate it.Goatldi

Leigh said...

Goatldi, great story! It's amazing how influential food traditions are. Very fun, really.