Three layers of homemade pumpkin cake with pumpkin ganache. Your Thanksgiving dessert just went to the next level! A great make-ahead dessert for the holidays.
Are you looking for a new Thanksgiving dessert recipe? We’ve got the perfect solution! This Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Ganache can be made in advance, keeping the mess out of your kitchen for the holiday dinner.
Doesn’t this cake look amazing and perfectly moist? This torte-like cake has three layers and is filled with a white chocolate pumpkin ganache. This ganache is like none other….you’re going to love it!
What is ganache?
Ganache is a rich chocolate made up of two ingredients: chocolate and cream. You can make ganache with different ratios of the two ingredients to make different things such as truffles, frostings, drips on cakes and fillings.
How to Make Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Mix together the sugar oil, pumpkin, eggs and vanilla until mixed well.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices to the same bowl. Stir to combine until just mixed but smooth. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Set cake aside to let it cool in the pans for 30 minutes to an hour, and then drag a knife along the outside of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan at all. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack.
- Level the cakes using a leveler to remove the curved top. Toss top, or use in another recipe like cake pops or cake truffles.
How to Make Ganache
Ganache sounds fancy but it is one of the easiest things to make. Heat heavy cream on the stove top or in the microwave until it is very hot. Don’t let it boil or even simmer. It just needs to be hot!
Add the white chocolate. Give the chocolate about 3-5 minutes to just sit in the hot cream. The chips will start to melt. Use a spoon to mix the cream/chocolate mixture until it is shiny and smooth.
Add in the pumpkin and other spices and mix until smooth.
Whipped Ganache Frosting
Whipped ganache is one of my favorite ways to decorate a cake. Ganache frosting isn’t as much sweet as it is rich and decadent. It will literally melt in your mouth!
After you’ve made the ganache, simply refrigerate the ganache for at least an hour or until it is cooled completely and slightly set.
Once it has cooled you’ll whip it using a stand mixer to make a chocolate whipped ganache. Absolutely amazing. And simple as that.
Does pumpkin cake need to be refrigerated?
We recommend refrigerating this cake since the ganache is milk based and has pumpkin in it.
Be sure to cover the cake loosely in plastic wrap or place it in a covered cake carrier.
Can you freeze pumpkin cake?
Yes! This cake freezes well. The pumpkin keeps the cake moist even after defrosting.
When you are ready to serve the cake, remove it from the freezer, but leave it covered or wrapped until the cake is completely thawed. That will help keep the cake fresh after freezing.
Other Pumpkin Cake Recipes
Tools To Make This Cake
- Stand Mixer: A hand mixer will work, but I always find it easier to make frostings with a stand mixer.
- Beater Blade with Scraper: The best invention ever!
- 9” Round Cake Pan: These are my favorite pans!
- Straight Icing Spatula: The long straight spatula makes it easy to smooth frosting.
- Wire Cooling Racks: This will help your cakes cool more quickly.
- Wilton 1M Tip: For piping pretty swirls on cupcakes.
Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Ganache
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (you will need to buy 2 15-ounce cans)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Filling
- 8 ounces white chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Mix together the sugar oil, pumpkin, eggs and vanilla until mixed well.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices to the same bowl. Stir to combine until just mixed but smooth. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Set cake aside to let it cool in the pans for 30 minutes to an hour, and then drag a knife along the outside of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan at all. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack.
- Level the cakes using a leveler to remove the curved top. Toss top, or use in another recipe like cake pops or cake truffles.
- Meanwhile, place the white chocolate in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until it is very hot. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate. Allow this to sit for 3-5 minutes. Mix the heavy cream and chocolate together until it is completely combined. The mixture will be smooth and shiny.
- Add the pumpkin puree and spices. Mix well.
- Place the ganache into the refrigerator to chill for about 1 hour. It will firm up as it gets colder. When cooled all the way, whip the chocolate ganache with a hand-held mixer. The mixture will becoming fluffier and look "whipped".
- To assemble the cake, start with a cake layer (top side down a cake plate). Top with 1/3 of the filling. Repeat with the next two layers. If desired, add some of the filling to a decorating bag and use a icing tip to decorate the top of the cake.
- If desired, top with additional garnishes like caramel sauce, chocolate ganache, and/or pecans.
- Store the cake in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Hello! Your pumpkin cake with pumpkin ganache looks amazing and I definitely want to make it for thanksgiving. My question is, I have a wonderful pumpkin pie spice that I would love to use in this recipe. If using your own spice blend, can I just use 2 tsp of my spice blend to match the 2 tsp total in your recipe? Same for icing? Please advise😀
Are the measurements for the ganache recipe right? That seems like too much cream for that amount of chocolate, especially with the addition pumpkin. I don’t think that will set up. Thanks!