Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and Cupcakes

By adkbabe on October 16, 2011

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Ingredients

    1. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    2. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    3. 1 cup good-quality cocoa
    4. 2 tablespoons good-quality cocoa
    5. 1 tablespoon baking powder
    6. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    7. 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    8. 3/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
    9. 3/4 cup buttermilk
    10. 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
    11. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    12. 1 1/8 cups unsalted butter, softened
    13. 1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
    14. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    15. 5 large eggs

Directions

  1. Prepare cake pans: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter three 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with an 8-inch circle of parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Make the batter: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg 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, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.
  3. Bake the cake: Divide the batter among the pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean -- about 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove cakes and cool. (For cupcakes: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in standard cupcake tins and fill each with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 22 minutes.).
  4. Assemble the cake: Trim each of the layers. Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one third of the frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. (To ensure that the cake layers do not shift, cut three skewers to 1/4 inch shorter than the full height of the cake and insert them before icing the top layer.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
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