Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake
It all started with a can of pumpkin.
Isn’t that how most things start these days? Can’t you find canned pumpkin year round? I guess I’ve never checked, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t like the infamous and disgusting Starbucks Pumpkin Latte that only comes around once a year. Yet we only really feel compelled to use it during the fall/winter months. I’m totally okay with that, though. I love the warm-fuzzy feelings that come from hitting that point where you know it’s okay to eat it again. It keeps it special.
So why wouldn’t I want to turn a chocolate chip cake into a pumpkin chocolate chip cake? Clearly it’s going to make it better. This was definitely the densest cake I’ve ever made. It was definitely brownie-like in texture with only the faintest hint of pumpkin. As if the chocolate chips weren’t enough, I definitely melted some with some coconut oil and drizzled it on top. Feel free to laugh hysterically as I poured chocolate all over my counter. A smart person would have put the cake on a plate first. I, however, prefer to lick it off the counter. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
I really do have a tendency not to think things through all the way and make silly awesome mistakes like that. Those are stories that could go on for days.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup almond milk [or milk of choice, keep more around to get your consistency][
- 1 1/2 cup NuNaturals MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend [or sugar]
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons espresso powder
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Prepare a 9″ cake pan [I used a springform].
- In the bowl of a mixer, mix together the oil, pumpkin, vanilla, salt, and sugar until smooth.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, starting with 2/3 cup of milk. Mix until smooth.
- You want a thick, creamy batter–a little more runny than brownie batter. Add more milk if necessary.
- Mix in chocolate chips.
- Pour into your prepared pan and smooth with
your fingera spatula. - Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely before topping and/or eating.
I could be talked into licking chocolate off a counter. And all my kitchen messes are typically the result of not really thinking things all the way through. Like opening running blenders, wandering away from hot frying pans or putting cold stuff back in the cabinet rather than the fridge. Cooking is not for the absent-minded. Or maybe it is, and it just makes it more fun ;D
And thank you for adding your chili recipe! It’s almost chili season (I’m denying that it’s been fall for a month already), so I needed the reminder, definitely want to make a beer-based chili of my own.
It’s reasons like this that I am not surprised in a slightest that I occasionally get an ant problem. As long as we don’t burn our respective homes down, we’re golden!
I can’t wait to see what chili you come up with. I’m already counting down to the lentils.
Hey, I rent so I can go ahead and burn it down, I just hope my landlord has “clumsy incompetent renter” insurance 😀 Can’t wait for you to try the lentils! And chili juuust might be made this weekend, since it just got cold and rainy AND I’ve been craving cornbread…what better reason for cornbread than chili? With beer?
Chili should always come standard with cornbread and beer!