Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

This Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream is the ultimate fall dessert! It’s a moist and delicious cake recipe that’s full of chocolate and pumpkin flavor!

The Ultimate Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Fall baking is here friends and I am loving it!! Get a load of this ultra easy and incredibly perfect chocolate pumpkin cake with a thick layer of fabulous pumpkin spice buttercream. can you tell I am a little excited about this recipe? Lol!

I’ve always been a fan of jazzing up cake mixes and this is another quick and simple dessert that will have your guests ooing and ahhing. Hope you enjoy!

Here’s your line up 🙂  Add powdered sugar to the left by the butter and cinnamon 🙂

How to Make The Best Pumpkin Cake

I love this recipe, because you add everything to the mixer 🙂  Start with the cake mix.

In no particular order, add your oil.

Buttermilk.

4 large eggs.

1/2 cup sour cream.

Find yourself a 15 ounce can of pumpkin. I love this particular brand from Trader Joes.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of pumpkin for the buttercream.

Set the 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin aside for the buttercream.

Add the remainder of the canned pumpkin to the mixer.

Give it all a good mix, until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Stir in your chocolate chips.

Divide evenly between prepared bread pans.

Spread evenly and bake at 350 degrees F. for 55-65 minutes.

Love!!

While the cakes are cooling, prepare your buttercream 🙂

Ahhh, pumpkin spice buttercream. This stuff is deadly.

I will admit…the cakes are good even without the frosting. Perfectly moist and fabulous.

I happen to be a buttercream girl, so bring on the Pumpkin Spice Buttercream 🙂

Enjoy friends 🙂

Image of a Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Being Sliced

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

This Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream is the ultimate fall dessert! It's a moist and delicious cake recipe that's full of chocolate and pumpkin flavor!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 593kcal
Author: Jenny
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Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

  • 1 box devils food cake mix
  • 1 box instant chocolate pudding small box
  • 1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 15 oz canned pumpkin reserving 2 tbsp for buttercream
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
  • 2 tbsp reserved pumpkin
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-4 tbsp milk

Instructions

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray two 9x5 inch bread pans with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a stand or electric mixer, place cake mix, pudding mix, oil, buttermilk, eggs, sour cream and can of pumpkin, and chocolate chips--mix all ingredients until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Divide cake batter evenly into prepared bread pans. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until cooked through.

Pumpkin Spice Frosting

  • Place butter, reserved 2 tablespoons pumpkin and cinnamon into stand or electric mixer. Mix on high until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar until thick and creamy. Slowly add the milk until buttercream is a nice consistency.
  • Frost over cooled cakes, slice and serve.

Notes

This recipe can be used to make 24 cupcakes as well. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, until baked through.
This recipe can also be used to make two 9 inch cakes for layered cakes. I'd start the bake time at 30 minutes at 350 and check often from there 🙂

Nutrition

Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 346mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 4909IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg
Keywords: best chocolate cake recipe, chocolate cake frosting, fall cake, pumpkin cake, pumpkin cake recipe, pumpkin dessert, pumpkin dessert recipe

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Hope you enjoy 🙂 Have a great day!

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109 Responses
  1. Janie

    I have made this several times and it is so good.. the only problem I have is the bread will fall after I take it out of the oven. It is fine in the oven and for about 5 minutes after I take it out .. then it falls .. None of my other breads do this . I cant figure it out .. any suggestions .

  2. Stacy

    This is my go-to not from scratch chocolate cake recipe. We love it! I use this recipe every year for my kids’ birthday cupcakes. I usually switch out the frosting for a regular vanilla buttercream, but the pumpkin one you suggested is delicious as well! I have successfully switched out the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt when That is all I had on hand.

  3. Abby

    Ok. I have made this cake about 5 times and I LOVE it. It’s so easy and SO impressive! My friends request it 🙂

  4. DOREEN SEDLAK

    This looks wonderful can it be made in a 9×13 pan if so what temperature and cook for how long,
    Thank You

  5. Dawn K.

    baking in the oven right now for my 14 year old’s birthday cake. (doing the layered) He requested something pumpkin and this is what I found. I had to come back to your website since the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough cake was such a hit for my husband’s birthday back in June!!!

  6. Abby

    Made a double batch of this today to share with friends. Great recipe … so easy and delicious!

  7. Megan

    This recipe looks AMAZING!! I love anything that starts with a box mix. However, most impressive is your flawlessly clean oven 🙂

  8. Abby

    Oh dang! I made this last night … brought one cake in to work and will take the other to Thanksgiving dinner at my aunties. My co-workers scarfed this down in a matter of minutes! I will totally make this again! (I substituted 0% fat Greek yogurt for the sour cream.)

  9. Rebekah

    I am DEFINITELY going to have to try this! It looks FANTASTIC!! The buttercream frosting sounds delicious!
    I have one question though… I saw where several people mentioned that the cake itself doesn’t taste very “pumpkiny”. So I was curious if you substituted the Jell-o pumpkin spice pudding for the chocolate pudding in the recipe if it might bring out the pumpkin flavor a little bit more???? Just an idea, but I don’t know if it would be very good or not. It might taste weird.

  10. Francesca

    Forgot to mention in my previous comment that I used a 16.25oz. cake mix and 3.9oz. pudding (I know some people, myself included, asked about ounces).

    I had another piece of this cake (w/o frosting) last night (made it on Friday) and it was JUST as delicious if not MORE so. I left it out on the counter wrapped in plastic and sealed inside a plastic baggy. So incredibly moist…melts in your mouth! Reallllly wish the frosting had been better.

  11. Francesca

    I made this over the weekend and the cake was delicious!! I substituted 1/2 cup water with 3/4 tsp. melted butter for the milk (didn’t have any).

    The buttercream didn’t turn out that great. It was overly sweet…and I like sweet. I ended up adding an extra 1/4 tsp. cinnamon for more flavor. I also substituted water for the milk. My buttercream separated a bit just like others have commented on. It just didn’t come together very well…it certainly didn’t look anything like Jenny’s fluffy buttercream in the pictures.

    I’d certainly make the cake again, but would probably uses a pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting instead.

  12. Francesca

    Jenny – I’m going to make this for my nephew’s birthday, but need to know how many ounces the cake mix should be? Thanks! Next up is your Starbucks Lemon Loaf…what are the ounces on that cake mix?

  13. Carolyn

    This one looks amazing-can’t wait to give it a try–I wonder if I could use a cream cheese buttercream pumpkin frosting instead?

  14. Rita

    I have the cinnabun cake in the oven as I type and have a question for you regarding the ‘pin it’ button at the end of your posts.
    I have been trying to add that to my posts without luck. It is too cool and I want it. I’ve read the directions on the site and it’s missing a step for me. It assumes I know what I’m doing! LOL! Have you posted a tutorial on how you’ve added this feature? Any quick tips?
    Thanks!
    Rita

  15. Stacia

    I made this for Thanksgiving! It was delicious. The frosting was a bit sweet, and we couldn’t taste the spice so I added more cinnamon,nutmeg and cloves! Made a big difference. Thanks!

  16. Brittany from CountingMyCupcakes

    Hi! I have had this recipe bookmarked since you posted it and I am about to make it tomorrow, but with everything else to make, I want to use a store-bought frosting. Would you recommend anything in particular? If I buy a standard vanilla or white frosting, do you think I could still mix the pumpkin and spices into it to make it pumpkin flavored?? Thanks in advance 🙂

  17. Shelbi

    I read a review that the pumpkin flavor didn’t come through in the cake, do you think using a pumpkin spice pudding instead of chocolate would bring it out more? I happen to have some and I WILL be making this cake for Thanksgiving 🙂 Thanks for a beautiful recipe

  18. Becky

    I made this cake for my dessert party that I hosted this weekend. It was a big hit! People commented on how moist the cake was and how the buttercream balanced everything out! I will definitely make this again. Thanks!

  19. Amy

    I’ve had this recipe stored up for over a month to make for my boyfriend’s bday…i’ve been so excited for it! it was my first time making buttercream and when i applied to the cake (cake was totally cooled), the buttercream separated into oily parts 🙁 what did i do wrong!?

  20. Summer Jo Brooks

    I’m doing a special feature on my blog this month called 30 days of desserts which each day I feature a different dessert from different bloggers featuring their recipe and blog (etsy shops, fb pages, etc…). I came across your blog and was wondering if you would be interested in participating! Just let me know!

    Thanks,
    Summer Jo Brooks
    Author of Believing Boldly

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