Julie Clark
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Pumpkin Chocolate Torte
If you’re looking for an impressive Thanksgiving dessert, try this Pumpkin Chocolate Torte. Chocolate cake layered with cream cheese pumpkin frosting.
Pumpkin and chocolate…do you think they go together? You’ve been crushing on this layered pumpkin chocolate cake so I’d say most of you love this flavor combo.
Today we’re sharing a pretty multi-layered chocolate torte cake. It’s one of the best!
I tend to get scared off by desserts that LOOK impressive. They have to be hard…right?
This cake might look tall and stately, but we’ll walk you through all of the steps on how easy this pumpkin chocolate torte is.
What is the difference between a cake and a torte?
Torte is a German word for a layered cake. Tortes sometimes have less flour than a traditional cake, but in America, many times tall, multi-layered cakes are called tortes. And that is what we are making today!
Do you have to have a special pan to make a torte?
No! Although it may be helpful to have a very shallow round pan to make a torte, you can simply use a traditional round cake pan. If your layers end up too thick, you can always slice them in half so they are thinner.
How to Make Chocolate Torte Cake
This torte recipe is made like a traditional chocolate cake. This recipe makes a lot of batter…so hold on for the ride!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 6 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Mix wet ingredients together well.
- Then mix all of the dry ingredients together in another bowl.
- Add all the dry ingredients and stir to combine until just mixed but smooth. Do not overmix.
- Add in the hot water and mix just until combined.
- Divide batter evenly between the six cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Set cakes aside to let them cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then drag a knife along the outside of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan at all. Turn out the cake to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Level the cakes using a leveler to remove the curved top. Toss the cake tops out, or use in another recipe like cake pops or cake truffles.
How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a hand-held mixer, whip the cream cheese until smooth.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar and blend until all the sugar is incorporated.
- Add in the pumpkin and heavy cream and blend with a mixer.
- Reserve a small amount of filling if you want to decorate the top of the cake with an icing bag.
Decorate the top of the cake with chopped nuts or shaved chocolate. Or use both!
How to Store a Layered Torte
Because of the dairy base of the filling in this cake, you’ll want to store it in the refrigerator.
Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap. It will be a tall cake so make sure you have enough room in the fridge to store it properly.
Other Pumpkin Cake Recipes
Pumpkin Chocolate Torte
If you're looking for an impressive Thanksgiving dessert, try this Pumpkin Chocolate Torte. Chocolate cake layered with cream cheese pumpkin frosting.
Servings 12
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cup vegetable oil
- 8 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups hot water
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
For the filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 15 ounces can pumpkin puree
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 6 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Mix wet ingredients.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine until just mixed but smooth. Do not overmix.
- Slowly mix in the hot water until well combined.
- Divide batter evenly between the six cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Set cakes aside to let them cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then drag a knife along the outside of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan at all. Turn out the cake to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Level the cakes using a leveler to remove the curved top. Toss the cake tops out, or use in another recipe like cake pops or cake truffles.
Make the filling:
- Using a hand-held mixer, whip the cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and blend until all the sugar is incorporated.
- Add in the pumpkin and heavy cream and blend with a mixer. Reserve a small amount of filling if you want to decorate the top of the cake with an icing bag.
Assemble the cake:
- Start with one of the layers top side down on a cake plate. Add ⅙ of the filling to the top, and spread it evenly over the cake.
- Repeat this process with the remaining cake layers and the filling. Scrape the filling along the outside of the cake to lightly frost it.
- Decorate the top of the cake if desired.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 959kcal | Carbohydrates: 173g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 118g | Vitamin A: 6373IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 5mg
