Chocolate Bourbon Pumpkin Cake

This is not your ordinary Pumpkin Cake! I created an adult Halloween Cake with layers of  pumpkin date sponge and chocolate bourbon buttercream. That’s right, while the kids are devouring candy, the adults can enjoy a slice of black and orange delight.

Let’s talk flavors next. Obviously there is pumpkin and chopped dates, but I also incorporated hazelnut flour for some nuttiness. Paired with dark chocolate cocoa powder and smooth bourbon, this is a cake you enjoy by the fire while savoring every last bite. Topping with hazelnut chunks and shards of chocolate, was my attempt to mimic a spooky forrest. I dunno, what do you think?

What is Hazelnut Flour?

Hazelnut flour is made by blending down whole peeled hazelnuts into a fine powder or chunkier meal texture. This flour is used to add a rich nutty flour to baked goods. A gluten free flour that does well when paired with wheat flour for most bakes. To create an all hazelnut flour recipe, check your accompanying ingredients to ensure a rise in your bakes.

Why Bake with Dates?

Dried dates add a sweet profile to your cake. Make sure the pits are removed before chopping. I like to think, if a fig and a prune had a baby it would be the date. You don’t see them paired with pumpkin that often, but I’m telling you its delicious! For this recipe I am using medjool dates that have a strong caramel flavor. Hello!! Caramel goes great with pumpkin and dark chocolate. Now you’re seeing the method to the sweet tooth madness.

Tips for Making Halloween Pumpkin Cake:

• Use three 6 inch pans or two 8 inch pans.
• Grease bottom and sides of cake pans, then line with parchment paper. This makes cake layer removal so much easier!
• Cream your butter and sugar together before adding other ingredients.
• Use room temperature butter.
• If you don’t like dates, swap them out for dried figs or raisins. Make sure to use dried fruit, since wet will change the consistency of the cake batter.
• Once your cake layers are cool remove from pans, wrap in plastic, and place in the freezer for 45 mim-1 hr.
• You can trim the top of a lightly frozen cake layer much easier than a warm one. This also prevents lots of crumbs mixing in your buttercream while frosting.
• Make your buttercream while your cake layers are in the freezer.
• Always use room temperature butter when making your chocolate buttercream frosting.
• Place a dollop of buttercream on your cake dish before placing your first layer down.
• Be sure to remove your parchment paper:)
• Use a piping bag or spatula to cover first cake layer with frosting.
• Set second cake layer down and repeat.
• Top layer should be place upside down, for a level top surface.
• Cover entire cake with buttercream and use a bench scraper to smooth the top and sides.
• Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.

How to Make Chocolate Shards:

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Melt 1-2 cups dark chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl.
• For the microwave, melt your chocolate 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until liquid.
• Pour melted chocolate onto parchment paper.
• Allow to cool at room temperature until hard.
• If you are rushed for time, just place your tray in the fridge or freezer until hard.
• Break chocolate with hands into long jagged shards.
• Gently stick chocolate shards upright into the top layer of buttercream to mimic trees.

Chocolate Bourbon Pumpkin Cake

By Jenn

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Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 367kcal

Ingredients 

Cake Batter

• ▢ 2 ¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
• ▢ ¾ Cup Hazelnut Flour
• ▢ 2 tsp Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 tsp Baking Soda
• ▢ 2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
• ▢ ½ tsp Ground Ginger
• ▢ ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
• ▢ 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• ▢ 1 Cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
• ▢ 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• ▢ 4 Eggs
• ▢ 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1 15 oz Can of Pumpkin Puree, (425 g)
• ▢ ⅓ Cup Chopped Medjool Dates

Chocolate Bourbon Buttercream

• ▢ 2 Cups 460g Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• ▢ 5-6 Cups 420g Powdered Sugar
• ▢ ⅗ cup Extra Dark Cocoa Powder
• ▢ 6 Tbsp Almond Milk
• ▢ 4 Tbsp Bourbon
• ▢ ½ tsp Kosher Salt
• ▢ 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Topping

• ▢ 2 Cups Chocolate Chunks
• ▢ 1 Cup Chopped Hazelnuts

Instructions

Make Batter

• Preheat Oven to 350 F (190 C) and prepare three 6 inch cake pans.
• In a medium bowl, hand whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
• In bowl of stand mixer with whisk or paddle attachment, beat together sugars and butter on medium high speed until smooth.
• Add one egg at a time, continuing on medium speed until incorporated and mixture is fluffy.
• You may need to scrape sides and bottom of the bowl periodically to make sure all ingredients are well mixed.
• Add vanilla and pumpkin puree. Mix until incorporated.
• Slowly spoon flour mixture into wet mixture, continuing on medium speed until a smooth batter is formed.
• Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in chopped dates with a spatula.
• Spoon batter into cake pans, dividing evenly amongst all three. (I prefer to weigh my batter with a kitchen scale to be exact.)
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• (Bake on low to middle rack. I check each cake individually. )
• Once cake are done, place on cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.
• Next, place your hand on top of cake and flip upside down, to release cake from pan. (You can also fo this with a plate.)
• Wrap each layer in plastic wrap gently and place in freezer for 45 minutes.

Make your Chocolate Bourbon Buttercream

• In bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment whip butter at medium high until smooth.
• Add chocolate powder, salt, bourbon, vanilla and almond milk and whip again until creamy.
• Slowly spoon a cup of powdered sugar at a time into the mixture. Make sure each cup is well mixed before adding the second. (Again, you may need to scrape sides and bottom of bowl.)
• If you find your mixture is too thick add more almond milk a Tbsp at a time.
• If you find your mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar, mixing until desired thickness is reached.

Assemble Cake

• Remove layers from freezer.
• Unwrap and Peel the parchment paper from the bottom and set layers face up on counter.
• Take serrated knife and trip the tops of each layer, just enough to create a level surface.
• Grab your cake stand or serving dish and dollup a half dollar size of buttercream frosting onto the center.
• Place one layer onto cake stand, trimmed side up.
• Spoon and smear a layer of chocolate buttercream across the top. Slightly going over the edges.
• Repeat with second layer.
• Add top layer of cake trimmed side down. Cover with chocolate buttercream.
• Using an icing spatula or piping bag, fill in open sides with additional frosting.
• Then, take a bench scraper in one hand, while holding the cake stand in the other. Gently rotate the cake as you scrape the sides with an angled bench scraper.
• Place cake in refrigerator to set icing before decorating.

Make Shards

• While cake is setting, melt your chocolate morsels and pour onto parchment lined cookie sheet. (see post for tips!)
• Set chocolate in fridge or freezer to harden.
• Once chocolate is hard, break into shards with hands.

Decorate

• Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts onto the top of the cake.
• Insert chocolate shards gently into icing.