Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

The pumpkin chocolate cake is a delicious sweet that’s perfect for autumn, but enjoyable at any time of the year. Here is the traditional recipe with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

• 300 g of cleaned pumpkin
• 200 g of all-purpose flour
• 150 g of sugar
• 100 g of soft butter
• 100 g of dark chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• A pinch of nutmeg
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Start by preheating the oven to 180 °C.
2. Cut the pumpkin into pieces and steam or bake it until soft, then blend it to obtain a homogeneous puree.
3. While the pumpkin cools down, whisk the eggs with the sugar until you have a frothy and light mixture.
4. Add the soft butter to the egg and sugar mixture and mix well.
5. Incorporate the pumpkin puree into the mixture and stir until you get a uniform batter.
6. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Add them to the liquid mixture and stir until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
7. Chop the dark chocolate into pieces, or if you prefer, use chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter.
8. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured cake tin, or lined with parchment paper, and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool before removing it from the cake tin and serving it.

Curiosity

Pumpkin is a very versatile ingredient used in many Italian sweet preparations, especially in the northern regions such as Lombardy and Veneto, where delicious cakes and biscuits are created. Combining it with chocolate is not the most traditional but provides a rich and intense flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness and softness of the pumpkin.