A moist pumpkin cake with ginger chocolate and meringue swirls. It's the perfect way to bring in the cooler weather!
Last year I didn’t get a chance to really focus on making a lot of seasonal recipes. At least not as many as I wanted. I am trying to make up for that by creating as many recipes as possible and trying to keep up with the ideas that keep coming to mind. I’ve been thinking about making this pumpkin cake for you since before I even started this blog. It was inspired by this pumpkin meringue pie that I saw on pinterest and I wanted to make my own dessert based off it, but instead making it into a cake for a more dramatic effect. Between each layer I added a generous amount of ginger chocolate frosting which has a really nice bite of ginger and reminds me a bit of a spice cookie. Spice cookies are one of my favorite cookies. I remember dunking them into milk until they became nice and soggy and biting into that spicy sweet cookie. I begged my mom to buy them all the time until one day she convinced me they were no longer being made.
I actually believed her up until a few years ago.
The cake itself is wonderfully moist and has a delicate warming spice to it that isn’t overbearing, but unmistakable. I use my own pumpkin spice mix which is a mix of freshly ground spices and dried ground ginger. (I recently saw a Good Eats episode where Alton shows you how to make your own ground ginger and I can’t wait to try it!) It definitely holds its own against the bold flavors of the ginger chocolate frosting. The outer meringue frosting adds balance and lightness to the cake. Its cinnamon vanilla flavors add a welcome lightness to the deeper spices from the cake and chocolate. The toastiness of the meringue is addictive and adds gives the whole cake a “pumpkin s’mores” feel to it. You almost feel as though you are eating the cake out by the campfire. It is one frosting you will not want to push to the side as you eat your cake.
It took me almost two years to bring this cake to life, but it was so worth the wait. I love fall baking and making pumpkin everything and creamy butternut squash mac and cheese and big bowls of chili with buttery slices of cornbread. Now, if only the weather would catch up with my mindset. It is still over 90 degrees outside and my daughter keeps asking for dips in the pool and water balloon fights and I think “Nooooo, we need to make hot chocolate and s’mores and go on hikes wearing boots and jackets.” Soon, Amanda, soon.
For now I am ignoring the heat and turning on the oven and working on hearty quick breads and candied yams and pies. You can find me hiding away with a large slice of this pumpkin cake while wearing my boots. And when fall does come, I’ll be ready.
Recipe Card
Pumpkin Cake with Ginger Chocolate and Meringue
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 ⅔ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup oil vegetable or canola works, I used avocado
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup pure pumpkin puree
- ½ cup milk room temperature
For the Ginger Chocolate
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz semi sweet chocolate melted and cooled
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystalized ginger
For the Meringue
- 1 cup egg whites about 6 – 7 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
For the Cake
- Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and both sugars together until light and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time and beat very well between each egg. Add in the vanilla, and then the pumpkin puree. Alternate between adding the flour and the milk to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overmix.
- Evenly divide the batter between the three cake pans. Bake for about 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for about an hour before removing and allowing to cool completely on wire racks.
For the Ginger Chocolate Frosting
- Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and stir until combined. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Tip: mix the frosting on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment to ensure any air bubbles in the frosting are beaten out.
For the Meringue
- Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt just until mixed together. Place over double boiler and whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Return to a stand mixer, or beat with a hand mixer until stiff, glossy peaks form and the bowl is cool to the touch. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon
Assembly
- Level the cake as necessary and cut off the edges around the cake if desired. (I find this is all easier to do after leaving the cakes in the freezer for a few hours). Take half the ginger chocolate and place on one cake. Top with another cake and the remaining ginger chocolate frosting. Top this with the last cake. Spread the meringue around the sides and top of the layered cake. The cake looks best when you make swooping swirls all around. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue. Make sure you really toast any bumps and curls in the meringue to make them really pop
Daniel says
I've made this twice now and it was a hit both times. The cake itself is perfect, but personally I found that the amount of sugar in the icings overpowered the pumpkin and spices. The second time around I halved the amount of sugar in the choc icing and meringue and left out the crystallized ginger altogether. I also found that I had a LOT of meringue left over (even after plastering on a nice thick coat).
Katie says
This cake is so beautiful! I made it today and followed the recipe exactly as written, but the chocolate frosting was super thick and dry. I added milk to help it thin out, but it still looks lumpy. How did you get your frosting so smooth?
Amanda says
I'm so sorry you had issues with the chocolate frosting!! I've never had any issues with it, but usually if you keep beating it, it should start to smooth out. You can add whole milk or cream (something with a higher fat content works best) slowly and keep beating, it will usually smooth out after a few minutes!
Darkane says
This cake was a great idea! I made it and was happy about how it turned out. Definitely a showstopper.
I was wondering about the oil in the cake. It seems it is used only to grease the pans since it is not mentioned in the recipe. It would be great if you could confirm that. The cake was moist and did not seem to need extra oil in the batter, from what I could see.
Also, the pumpkin spice cake is perfect, so is the meringue. If you are short on eggs you could make do with a little less meringue, because the recipe yields a lot. I found the chocolate filling way too sweet even after cutting back on icing sugar and increasing the amounts of chocolate, cocoa and ginger. I am still trying to come up with a replacement. The pieces of candied ginger are a great idea though!
Thank you very much for this recipe! In France, we do not make a lot of fall-inspired cakes except pain d'epices (gingerbread) , so I would never have thought of this.
Amanda says
Hi Darkane! Thank you for trying my recipe. My original recipe did need the oil, but after retesting the recipe a couple of weeks ago, I ended up taking it out because, as you said, it did not need it. I guess I forgot to take it out of the ingredient list as well! I am sorry the chocolate frosting was too sweet. The brand of cocoa powder I use tends to be on the bitter side, so I usually need extra sugar to tame it. Next time, you can add a few pinches of salt to the frosting and that will make it taste less sweet! It's a simple trick, but works really well! And yes, it does make extra meringue. I tried cutting it back a few times, but for some reason it just wasn't workout out for me, so I kept it at the quantity that works best for me. Usually I save the extra meringue to make meringue cookies for my daughter. 🙂 Everything done in France is always so amazing, so it is understandable that there aren't a lot of fall-inspired recipes on top of everything else. It's been years since I visited - I miss it a lot!
Amaryllis @ thetastyother.com says
OMG Amanda, this looks so beautiful and delicious and decadent! Thanks so much for posting, I think this needs to be the first pumpkin dessert of the season!
Rosemary @anitalianinmykitchen says
What a beautiful cake. I am sure it is as delicious as it is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop.
Sabrina says
This looks magnificent! I want some!!
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
Oh my!! This is such an awesome cake, Amanda...truly! I love all the flavor combinations. The idea of a chocolate ginger frosting sounds fantastic. And look at those pumpkin layers - so moist and thick! Wow <3 Oh and your merengue....gawgeous, dahling...just gawgeous!!! <3
Joanne Bruno says
I always feel a little unsure about meringue frosting, but this is unbelievably gorgeous! A must try for fall.
Renee says
This loos amazing! Fall delights- pinned!
Love the site 🙂 Will be back for sure.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
This cake is next level! Pinning!
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
Stunning, girlfriend. Just stunning.
Amanda says
Thanks, doll! 🙂