Pumpkin and chocolate go together so deliciously, but why choose between white and dark chocolate when you can have them both! This White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is moist, easy to make, and it’s good down to the last crumb!

cutting a piecec of pumpkin cake

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This cake was inspired by my love of pumpkin and by a cake a dear friend made. She used both white and dark chocolate in her cake, and the richness of the dark chocolate and the sweetness of the white chocolate made her cake special.

White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This cake is just as fabulous, but I’ve made it a little bit easier to make. With easy-to-find ingredients and convenient canned pumpkin, this cake comes together easily, and it cooks quickly when you bake it in a 9 x 13-inch pan.

White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Why I love this recipe

    • It’s an easy and delicious pumpkin cake recipe!
    • The sugary, crunchy topping is so good!
    • This pumpkin cake is great for parties and sharing – it cuts easily into squares!
    • It has plenty of pumpkin flavor, enhanced by the duo of white and dark chocolate chips.

square piece of White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Cake is perfect for sharing

This is a great cake to take to family events, parties, potlucks, and more. Plus, if you bake it in a 9 x 13-inch Pyrex dish with a lid, you don’t need to worry about transporting it! Simply bake, cool, and take it with you in the baking dish! 

Everyone loves this cake – adults love the savory pumpkin flavor, and kids love the chocolate chips. And with a hint of cinnamon, it’s the perfect cake for Thanksgiving feasts, fall parties, BBQs, and more.

a fork bite of pumpkin spice cake

Gather these ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Ground cinnamon – Fresh spices make all the difference! You’ll save a bit for the topping.
  • Salt
  • Baking soda
  • Eggs
  • Sugar – White granulated sugar. You’ll save some for the topping.
  • Canned pumpkin
  • Canola oil – Or another neutral-flavored cooking oil.
  • Chocolate chips – You’ll need both dark and white chocolate chips.

how to make a pumpkin cake

Canned pumpkin VS. pumpkin pie filling

What’s the difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling? There’s a big difference, so make sure you’re buying pure canned pumpkin for this recipe. Canned pumpkin is 100% pumpkin – it’s cooked, pureed, and canned. Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, is already sweetened and flavored with spices. You cannot control the sweetness or spices if you buy pumpkin pie filling.

how to make White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

How to make White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

  1. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray or greasing it with butter.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350-F.
  3. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
  4. Beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil in a second bowl. 
  5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in one bowl, mixing until just moistened.
  6. Add the white and dark chocolate chips, reserving some for the topping.
  7. Combine the reserved sugar and reserved cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle this evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the cake.
  8. Bake the pumpkin cake at 350-F for about 45 minutes.
  9. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

chips on a pumpkin cake

Tips & substitutions

  • Don’t overmix the cake batter, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • An electric hand mixer or stand mixer will work for this recipe.
  • Mix and match the chocolate – milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and even chocolate chunks will work in this pumpkin cake recipe.
  • Cut the cake into squares for easy serving.

taking a bite of cake

How do you know when pumpkin cake is done?

This easy pumpkin cake recipe is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If there’s still batter on the toothpick, it’ll need a few more minutes. If there’s just a crumb or two on the toothpick, pull it out of the oven, and the residual heat will continue to cook the cake until it is perfect.

Serving Suggestions

This pumpkin cake is so good that it doesn’t need anything else, but if you want to jazz it up, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Cool Whip is also a good choice if you want an open-and-go garnish for your cake.

a serving of pumpkin cake

Storage

Leftover White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake can be kept tightly covered on the counter for 2-3 days or freeze it! Cut it into squares, tightly wrap them in plastic wrap, and then pop them into a resealable plastic bag. That way, you can defrost a piece of cake at a time to go with your coffee or for dessert.

Check out these delicious pumpkin recipes while you’re here 

This post is reposted from July 2014 with new photos and tips!

cutting a piecec of pumpkin cake
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White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This White and Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake, with a cinnamon and sugar topping, is moist, easy to make, and it’s good down to the last crumb!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 12
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Ingredients
 

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 1 ½ cups canola oil
  • 1 ½ cups semisweet semisweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, divided
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (reserve the other ¼ cup for the topping).
  • Pour the cake into a greased 9×13 pan.
  • Mix together ¼ cup sugar and ½ tsp. cinnamon and lightly sprinkle over the cake. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  • Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Reposted from July 2014.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!

a serving of White and Dark Chocolate cake with pumpkin