Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake — This easy pumpkin cake is loaded with chocolate chips and drizzled in rich and decadent chocolate ganache. It’s one of the best pumpkin cakes I’ve ever had!! An EASY no-mixer fall favorite cake that everyone just LOVES!
Table of Contents
- Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake … with Chocolate Chips!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake Ingredients
- How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
- Recipe FAQs
- Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
- More Easy Pumpkin Desserts:
Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake … with Chocolate Chips!
I originally posted this recipe in the fall of 2012. I had a little girl in the kitchen that day who was just 5 years old helping me. She’s now a freshman in high school. I feel like I remember more about this cake than I sometimes do about the last 9 years that have seemingly passed by in the true blink of an eye.
If you’re lucky enough to have small kids underfoot, bake a pumpkin cake with them! You will thank yourself when they’re in high school and far too busy to be baking cakes with you.
The last decade of blogging hasn’t been like the first few years when I started and (over) shared about my personal life, but I wanted to at least share that memory.
I went on to write a cookbook dedicated to only pumpkin recipes, published in 2014. It’s called Cooking With Pumpkin and I’d love it if you wanted to buy or download a copy! I included this pumpkin chocolate chip bundt cake in my cookbook because it’s just THAT good!
The pumpkin puree keeps this chocolate pumpkin bundt cake moist and dense and the spices, including pumpkin pie spice, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves, complement the pumpkin puree and are a reminder that fall is here.
Being the chocaholic that I am, I used chocolate in two ways. Chocolate chips are woven throughout the cake and chocolate ganache is poured over the top.
The ganache is so easy to make and comes together in about 1 minute in the microwave. Chocolate chips, cream, and vanilla. It’ so simple to make but tastes so decadent.
The ganache stays a bit soft and silky, even over time, which is very different from a chocolate buttercream which hardens and dries out after it’s exposed to the air. I love buttercream but not when it gets crunchy.
Between the chocolate chips in the cake and the chocolate ganache on top, if you like your pumpkin with a side of chocolate, this cake will make you happy.
It made me very happy.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake Ingredients
To make this pumpkin bundt cake with chocolate chips, you’ll need:
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree
- Granulated sugar
- Canola oil
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Butter extract
- Spices
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cream or half and half
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Can the Butter Extract Be Omitted?
I added a bit of butter extract to the batter and if it’s not something you keep on hand, don’t worry about it. From time to time, I use butter extract as a flavor enhancer and flavor booster in cookie dough and cake batter.
I wouldn’t necessarily say it makes things taste ‘buttery’. Rather, it rounds out the flavors, complements the existing flavors, and gives food that homey quality, and although you can’t exactly put your finger on what it is, it just makes you want to have seconds.
Just like adding brewed coffee to chocolate cake batter does not make the chocolate cake taste like a chocolate-coffee-flavored-cake and instead intensifies the chocolate flavor, the butter extract principle is similar. It enhances without making you think you just swallowed a stick of butter or anything.
Butter extract is only about $2.99 for a little vial, compared to about $6.99+ for vanilla extract of the same size, and it’s a fun little bargain extract to keep around. I add a few drops of it to the melted butter to be poured over popcorn for really buttery-flavored buttered popcorn.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Making a pumpkin bundt cake with chocolate chips couldn’t be easier! Here are the basic recipe steps:
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a large bowl, then mix in the dry ingredients.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Turn the batter into a greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan.
- Bake until the top has set and is golden, or a toothpick comes out clean (due to the chocolate chips, you may hit some chocolate patches with the insertion test).
- Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before inverting it.
- Once the pumpkin chocolate chip bundt cake is mostly cool, top with chocolate ganache.
Recipe FAQs
I baked this pumpkin chocolate chip cake in a 12-cup Bundt pan, but it can be baked in a 10-cup Bundt, and you’d probably have success dividing the batter among two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans.
Or, follow this classic pumpkin chocolate chip cake recipe so you don’t have to worry at all about pan conversions!
I love cake as much as the next person, but many of us are cooking for ourselves or small families and we don’t necessarily need ginormous Bundts just laying around and this one isn’t extreme.
This pumpkin chocolate chip cake will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
In an effort to duplicate that springy yellow-cake-mix-cake quality, I added sour cream. Sour cream, or Greek yogurt, gives cakes a spongy and springy quality, tenderizes them, and keeps them soft and moist. There is nothing worse than dry cake and I’d rather have nothing than a piece of dry cake.
I didn’t actually use butter in the cake and used oil instead. Oil makes cakes moister, springier, and softer than butter.
I do love the flavor of butter in cookies and pie crust, but in recipes where the butter flavor would get lost anyway, such as this one with the pumpkin, the spices, and all the chocolate going on, may as well use oil to keep the cake moister. Plus, the butter extract makes up for any lack of real butter.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake
I used a mixture of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, all spice, and cloves in this pumpkin cake recipe. If you don’t have all of these spices on hand, mix and match with what you do have. It will probably turn out fine!
Once the dry ingredients are mixed into the wet, don’t over mix! This is a thicker cake batter, and you can easily over-develop the gluten and create a dense cake.
The pumpkin chocolate bundt cake MUST cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before it can be inverted. If you try to invert the cake right away, you run the risk of the cake sinking.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sour cream, Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butter extract, optional
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup cream or half-and-half
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- optionally add 1 to 2 tablespoons rum or bourbon, coffee liqueur, or chocolate-flavored liqueur
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt or tube-cake pan with cooking spray (I use Pam for Bakingwith excellent results) or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl combine eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, sour cream, vanilla extract, butter extract, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, allspice, cloves (if you don’t have all of them on hand, just use what you do have) and whisk to combine until mixture is smooth and silky.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt and stir until just combined (don’t overmix or the gluten will over-develop and cake will be tougher).
- Fold in the chocolate chips and pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula if necessary and give it a slam on the counter to release any air.
- Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until top has set (it may crackle, this is okay) and is golden or a cake tester, toothpick, or blade of a knife comes out clean (due to the chocolate chips, you may hit some chocolate patches with the insertion test).
- Allow cake to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before inverting and releasing cake from pan and placing it on a rack to finish cooling. While cake cools, make the ganache.
Chocolate Ganache:
- Place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power for 1 minute to soften chocolate; set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, heat the cream (I used half-and-half) on high power just until it begins to bubble and show signs of boiling, about 1 minute.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate and let it stand about 1 minute. Whisk vigorously until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth and velvety.
- Add vanilla, optional alcohol, and whisk to combine. Set bowl aside for about 5 minutes, allowing ganache to cool and thicken a bit.
- Whisk mixture briefly before preparing to drizzle it over the cake. Ganache will set up a bit with time, but remains quite viscous and drippy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Pumpkin Desserts:
Easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — Moist pumpkin cake is topped with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. This easy fall dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, and more!
The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread — This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is truly the best homemade pumpkin bread you’ll ever make. It’s moist, packed with chocolate chips, and tastes like fall!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies — Rich, fudgy brownies topped with pumpkin and chocolate chips!! An EASY, no mixer pumpkin brownie recipe that’s FASTER than using a boxed mix! Bring on pumpkin spice season!!
Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread — This is without a doubt the BEST pumpkin bread recipe! This pumpkin cream cheese bread tastes like it has cheesecake baked into the middle. You’ll definitely want a second slice!
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies — Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract that I used, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake — This soft and moist pumpkin cake is loaded with chocolate in every bite!! An EASY one-bowl fall dessert that’s perfect for impromptu entertaining or anytime a pumpkin craving strikes!!
Originally posted October 1, 2012 and reposted September 29, 2021 with updated text.
I NEED a piece of that cake. Like right now!
You’re the pumpkin queen! I want those toffee cookies you made – I wish we could do a virtual swap :)
Pinned to 3 different boards too ;)
You’re a dollface, thank you! :)
Girl, you are killing it with this cake ~ amazing photos and flavors :)
i love the granola recipe! such a great fall-inspired breakfast or crunchy snack. and pretty, too!
Wow, this looks wonderful! Great pics and adore the flavor combo! I have a raw pumpkin pie recipe that uses fresh, raw pumpkin that’s one of my favorite pumpkin recipes. Also a pumpkin pie-themed soft serve that’s divine. Truthfully not a fan of dry cake mixes because most of the ones I’ve had are pretty dry and unexciting.
This cake looks great! I love cakes made with oil. I’m actually not sure if I’ve ever had a true yellow cake; I can’t believe that. My favorite pumpkin recipe of all time if Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (https://piesandplots.net/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-marshmallow-filling/) I make them as often as possible, as they may be the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I also make these pumpkin bars, which is really a pumpkin cake that are outstanding (https://piesandplots.net/pumpkin-snack-cake-with-frosting/). Everyone asks me to make them again and again, so they are frequently in my oven.
this is crazy but I just made those whoopie pies! Not from your site, but from a cookbook I was sent for review and that’s what her recipe is in her book with regard to all the major dry ingredients, egg, oil, etc. Very interesting!
This is one fiiiine looking cake! Love this idea :)
oH MY GOSHHH my mouth is watering. What a gorgeous cake!
Oh my gosh, Averie! This looks divine.
I love it, we are on the exact same wavelength with our posts today! :) That ganache looks incredible!
Thanks for the pin and we are clearly on the same wavelength!
Uh, please don’t be offended if I start calling you That Ganache Lady.
Seriously, the things you do with ganache should just about be illegal. AMAZING CAKE.
Oh Averie! You’ve got me swooning over here – this is gorgeous! I love anything pumpkin or chocolate, so this cake is a tempting sight to my eyes.
Are you kidding me? You’ve put this pumpkin cake over the top, and Averie your photos are getting to be unbelievable. Seriously, that last shot is….I don’t know…I can’t take it. The subtle hints of turquoise throughout the photos in the post are lovely, too. Now I have to go make this.
I am so glad you like it! I was thinking of you the entire time I was recipe-formulating, pondering, OVER-thinking it :) and then eating it and editing it. I am so glad I piqued your interest! I was really happy with the way the pics turned out but I honestly don’t think any pics do this cake justice. It’s so good! For such a simple/one-bowl/5 min batter, it’s just a killer cake! Thank you for the jumping off place. I am not a fan of nuts in desserts, and wanted to bump up the butter quotient (and the fat…lol…for moisture) so the sour cream is perfect (but they sell pumpkin greek yogurt at TJs right now and if I had that, I’d try it with that too!) If you do make a new version of it, LMK!
omg this looks insanely good! I am coming to your house
Oh my goodness… the chocolate and all of it’s awesomeness. I’m clearly behind on the whole bundt loving thing. Need to fix that.
Averie, what a gorgeous cake! Thank you for explaining why you chose oil instead of butter and how you added the flavor back in with the extract – something I never would have thought to do! I’ve only used butter extract in cookies before, but it is screaming for some new use. I pour it on popcorn too!!!! Sometimes with cinnamon. That sounds weird, but totally delicious.
The cook itself looks SO moist from the oil, the cup of pumpkin and the sour cream – I love using sour cream in my baked confections like muffins, breads, or cakes! It adds SO much much in the texture department. The woven chocolate chips hiding inside almost take on a marble effect, Averie! They make your slices look so pretty. A chocolate ribbon hiding inside. The pics are gorgeous- i like your simple glass cakestand! I’d warm this cake up on a chilly morning for an indulgent weekend breakfast. My mom would LOVE this cake too! We share a pumpkin obsession :)
We are twins! I make popcorn with cinnamon, butter extract, and sometimes stevia, or nutritional yeast sprinkled…salty, sweet, cheezy, and cinnamony all rolled into one!
The cake was incredibly moist! Like falling apart soft and I just loved it and glad you liked the oil rationale. I used it for my choc cake that I made in Aruba and in all the research and trials Ive done on cakes like this, where the butter flavor is masked or clouded by so many other things, the oil results are just awesome if you don’t care about the butter flavor (or can add it back in w/ extract!)
I found that cakestand at Target in a set of 3 for like $19.99 I totally lucked out about a month ago!
I have been thinking of bundt cake latley and have been researching them for — there are so many varieties that I am having a hard time trying to come up with something special. This is great inspiration, however.Lucky little brother to have a sister that loves to bake!Cheers!Virginia O.