This Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake is the perfect mix of moist chocolate cake and creamy pumpkin cheesecake. The combination of flavors and textures is delicious – even better than I expected! I think chocolate & pumpkin is my new favorite flavor combination thanks to this tasty layer cake!
Hungry for another delicious pumpkin and chocolate treat? You should try my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes!
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
So after our trip, it has been good to be back in the gym the last couple of days. I hadn’t worked out for almost a week, and I have absolutely no control when on vacay, so it has been much needed.
The only problem is that I’m a bit sore. Not from the gym, but from the trip. My niece was really into doing handstands while were there and it reminded me not only of my younger self, but of my cheerleading days. I cheered competitively for 8 years and it had me missing it.
So I made the brilliant decision to get up and do handstands with her. Which then turned into cartwheeling into a handstand. I hadn’t done those in like, a long time. It was actually a lot of fun and I could’ve kept on doing it. But surely I should have stretched or something first. My 29 year old body has clearly decided to punish me. That was Thursday, and my hamstring in my one leg is still sore. My shoulders are finally getting better. #ImNot10Anymore #ThisIs29Almost30 #Dangit #WhatHappenedToMyBody
Oh well! Cake makes it all better. And this cake in particular. Oh. Em. Gee. There are so man things about it to love.
Why I Love This Pumpkin Cake
First of all, it uses my favorite chocolate cake. It’s the moistest, most delicious chocolate cake ever. Moist for daaaaaays.
And the pumpkin cheesecake rocks. It tastes awesome and baking it is a breeze because it doesn’t need a water bath. Normally, I’d advise to use one because it makes a bigs a difference in the way a cheesecake bakes. This cheesecake is the one exception that I know of. And because it’s getting stacked into a cake, you don’t even have to make a crust. #winning
And then the pumpkin icing. It doesn’t get any better than this icing. So pumpkin-y but still thick and perfect for icing a cake. It’s so good I’m trying to think up a mother recipe to use it in so that I can make it again. Mmmmm…
If you’ve made some of my ice cream cakes or millionaire cakes, then it must be said that stacking this cake is even easier than those. Because the cake and cheesecake layers are nice and solid, you stack them just like any other cake. No need to stack them in a springform pan or anything like that. Just stack then with the ganache between the layers to help hold them together. Easy peasy.
Seriously, while the directions look like they might be tough at first glance, this cake really isn’t hard to make. There’s just more steps involved. Just trust me – it’s worth it. When you combine the delicious chocolate cake with the creamy pumpkin cheesecake and then add the pumpkin icing? Whoa. Just whoa. So good.
You might also like
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Layer Cake
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Glaze
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake
Shop the recipe:
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 53 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 18 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake is the perfect mix of moist chocolate cake and creamy pumpkin cheesecake. The combination of flavors and textures is delicious – even better than I expected! I think chocolate & pumpkin is my new favorite flavor combination thanks to this tasty layer cake!
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup boiling water
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
- 3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
PUMPKIN ICING
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 + 1/8 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Hot fudge sauce, if desired (I used Hershey’s Fudge Topping)
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 4 oz chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Keywords: pumpkin cheesecake recipe, pumpkin cake recipe, pumpkin cake, chocolate cheesecake recipe, best pumpkin cheesecake, layer cake, layer cake recipe
Enjoy!
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Lindsay,
I am going to make this for a birthday this weekend. Is there a difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree?
This looks amazing … can’t wait to try it.
On a different subject, all of the photos of your cheesecake and cakes after they are cut look so perfect. How do you get such clean cuts?
I really just use a sharp knife and then I use a fork to “clean” them up a bit.
Hi, Lindsay! I have made this cake about 2 years ago for Thanksgiving. After I put the cake on the dessert table, the entire cake was gone in about 10 minutes with about 25 guests. I just had a quick question… I was wondering if…
1. You would recommend using sour cream in the cheesecake recipe and if so, how much? AND…
2. Would you suggest separating the egg yolks and the egg whites, putting in the yolks when you add the eggs, mixing the egg whites separately until peaks form and then at the last minute, folding it into the cheesecake mixture before placing it in the springform pan to create a “lighter textured” cheesecake?
The cake is AMAZING either way, just asking your opinion. Thanks, Lindsay!
★★★★★
Hi Lindsay. I love your recipes. How on this wonderful earth, do you come up with all these fabulous recipes. I mean, each one has a deliciousness of it’s own, it’s unearthly, but in a wonderful way,
Thank you so much Carol!
Hello! I wanted to make this tomorrow before Thanksgiving, and I wanted to know this: since this recipe uses Dutch-processed cocoa, could I replace the baking soda and buttermilk with baking powder? If so, how much would I need?
No, I don’t believe you can.
I made this cake for my mom’s 88th birthday (9/26) and it turned out great! I even impressed myself! Thankfully I allowed myself plenty of time to make this chocolate/pumpkin cheesecake keeping in mind, like household projects, they always take longer than anticipated.
The cake was moist and flavorful! Definitely use parchment paper in the cake pans. The cheesecake filling was good but not great. The flavor just didn’t “pop” with pumpkin spice flavor, but that may just be me. The guests loved it, and the cake was devoured in short order.
★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I made the chocolate cake part only of that cake and it is now my go-to recipe. The mixture was really watery and since my cake was to be carved I added a cup of flour to the mix. Not only was it firm enough to carve, but it was still incredibly moist. Plus it tastes awesome and is so easy and quick to make.
Glad you enjoyed it!
How do you remove cheesecake without breaking from pan when making Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake?
It needs to be placed on top of one layer of chocolate cake, so how to accomplish this without breaking the cheesecake? Would you bake the cheesecake with a piece of parchment paper underneath the cheesecake, then freeze it so it can be easily removed and placed atop the bottom chocolate layer of cake? Please let me know how you accomplished this feat!.
I have updated the instructions a bit to help with that. It is a very thick cheesecake, so as long as it’s completely cold (not frozen) and you’re careful with it, it should be fine to handle it.
Ive been baking for many years, but this site is absolutely the greatest recipes ever! So spectacular
looking and easy to make!
I have never found the answer to this problem with cheesecakes:
How do I remove the baked cheesecake from the bottom of the pan to a serving tray? If I have parchment paper on the bottom, it must be cut exactly the same size so as not to protrude around the edges of the cake, making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much Linda! Here is a tutorial showing how I set my pan up for cheesecakes. I do use parchment paper to help prevent sticking and I’m able to remove them from the pan. Sometimes I have to loosen the parchment a bit by running my small offset spatula round the bottom.
This looks absolutely Devine. I’m trying to make a Black Forest cake like this – cherry cheesecake inside of two layers of cake. Any ideas on how to make an icing that’s the same consistency of yours?
Just leave out the pumpkin puree and add another flavoring, like vanilla extract. You might also need to add some other liquid, like milk or water, to thin it out a bit.
How did you put the cheesecake on the chocolate cake layer without making a big mess? It’s not like cheesecake slides easily off the springform….. please share your secret!
Definitely be sure to grease the pan. You can also put parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, which will help it not stick. Once the cheesecake releases from the pan, it’s nice and firm and should be relatively easy to move around.
Made this for Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit. Recipe was easy to follow and delicious. Thanks!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi L!
How far in advance can I make the cake and cheesecakes? Ganache and frosting??
I’d say a day or two in advance should be fine. The cheesecake holds up well and the chocolate cake is crazy moist. The ganache and frosting would be fine for a week or so.
Hey Lindsay!! Wow!! This cake is next on my list to make!! I do have a question for you about the pumpkin pie spice – do you use a powder pumpkin pie spice for the cheesecake and pumpkin pie spice extract (liquid) for the frosting? Or are they both liquid or powder?
Thanks so much! Looking forward to making this!!
It’s a spice mix, so a powder, for both.
I made the chocolate pumpkin cheesecake last year for my nieces Thanksgiving birthday. Ever since then my stepdaughter has wanted this for her birthday too. Since then i’ve gotten a job at a bakery so I asked her what kind of cake she wanted since her birthday is coming up next month. Still, she remembers your recipe from a year ago. It’d be nice to have someone else make it so save time but nonetheless I am flattered. Thanks for the recipes! They are clearly memorable 🙂
Can i bake this in microwave with the same procedure?
I wouldn’t suggest it.
I made this for Thanksgiving last week. It was a huge hit! It was nice to venture away from traditional desserts and make something fun and dramatic. A few things……..
1. The pumpkin cheesecake was too thick for me. It did crack a bit in the middle, but I didn’t worry about that too much. But the texture was not light and fluffy and it could have used more pumpkin flavor.
2. The chocolate cake batter was VERY watery. This made me nervous. But I pushed ahead and was rewarded. The cake came out perfectly light and fluffy. It was not dry or dense at all.
3. I did not do the ganache layers in between because i thought it would result in TOO much chocolate. I will add it next time. The layers definitely needed something to help them stick together.
I made this for 2015’s Thanksgiving after searching through gazillions of other autumnal desserts and am glad I ultimately landed on this one. It was super delicious, moist, interestingly flavorful and well received by my family. It does take some time to make the multiple components, but all of the parts are pretty straightforward. If I made it again (which I plan to), I would probably double the ganache and maybe experiment with a different frosting (mine was fine but not stellar).
Thanks so much for this recipe. I made this for Thanksgiving dessert. It was declared as one of the best cakes I have made.
Awesome! 🙂 I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Was in charge of bringing a dessert to my future mother in laws house for Thanksgiving! I love baking and this just looks amazing!! Can’t wait to try it out! Will most likely comment later about how amazing it tasted!!
I am in the process of making this amazing cake as we speak for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I’m wondering if the cheesecake layer needs to be refrigerated? Would it be best to wrap up the cakes, put the cheesecake in the fridge and then assemble tomorrow morning or could I assemble the whole thing and leave it covered on the counter till tomorrow?
The cheesecake definitely should be refrigerated. This cake actually will do well if you make it ahead and refrigerate it for tomorrow.
Can this be made with Hershey’s regular unsweetened cocoa?
Yes, it can.
This looks so good, I am. Planning on making this for Thanksgiving this year. What is the difference between pumpkin pie purée and pumpkin pie filling?
Thanks
Hmm, I’m not sure that there is a difference. You want plain canned pumpkin – nothing that already has sweeteners or anything added.
Hello, I’m exploring cheesecake recipes til I stumbled on your website and found this wonderful recipe. I have the cheesecake part baking in the oven now. I ran out of pumpkin purée because I made 2 recipes of the cheesecake since I had 6 8 oz cream cheese on the counter at room temperature. I have 1 set of chocolate cake already done and it looked denser than I was expecting. I think I’ll prepare the second set of chocolate cake differently. Instead of putting all the ingredients together, I’ll beat the oil and sugar first til fluffy, before adding the other ingredients, slowly, ala red velvet style . I’m also thinking of adding some cracked roasted pumpkin seeds on top instead of the chocolate sprinkles. I will be making SMBC with pumpkin purée for one cake and do your pumpkin frosting for the other since your cake is so smooth. I’m so excited to taste this cake since thanksgiving is just 2 weeks away from today. This would be the perfect cake to bring to my work when I go to work on thanksgiving day. Thank you for this. Your website has become my first stop when looking for something the holidays ahead. Looking forward to making your amaretto cheesecake too. Thanks again
I hope it came out as expected and you enjoyed it! Thanks Rosselle!
i’m going to make this cake but could i replace the pumpkin puree with sweet potato puree
I would think that should be fine, but I haven’t done it. As long as there isn’t too much more or less moisture, it should be fine.
What type of flour is best to use for the chocolate cake?
I have used both all purpose flour and cake flour and both work great. I typically use all purpose, since I have more of that on hand.
Hi Lindsay,
You must be a pro baker bc this might be one of the most perfectly gorgeous cakes I’ve ever seen!
I can’t eat refined/processed sugar…is there an alternative sweetener I can make this with? I want to make it sooo badly!
Thanks
Hi Cheri! I’m sorry, but I don’t have a lot of experience working with alternative sweeteners in baking so I’m not sure how to advise you.
I’m going to make this and I have a question. When the cheesecake is done, step 6 says to chill. Am I suppose to put it in the fridge or can I just leave it on a rack till cool?
You’ll want to refrigerate it. Not only will it cool faster, but it’ll get firmer in the fridge which will make it easier to handle when stacking with the cake layers.
Thought I’d let you know that I am making the cake today (I’ve going to make and keep these as 2 separate desserts so it’ll fit in the fridge!). I made it the first time for Thanksgiving, and it was well received. Found the recipe via Pinterest and have shared your recipe with friends.
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing it! 🙂
Going to make this cake this weekend for a Sunday night party. Can I make it on Saturday afternoon and it be just as good as freshly baked on Sunday? It looks wonderful!
You can definitely make it a day ahead! Enjoy it!
I made this cake for Thanksgiving. What a cake!!! Out of all the desserts displayed at the “Vienese Table”, this cake was the first to go. Everyone who ate it, loved it. It is fresh tasting and soooooooooo sinfully delicious! I did everything except for the chocolate sprinkles. I found that if you do the ganache dripping down the sides, it worked better than the hot fudge. The fudge was too thick, but perfect for the top of the cake. All I can say is…thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU for sharing such a wonderful recipe! If you haven’t baked this cake, you gotta try it. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!!! 🙂
Was pretty good, but I think the instructions should be changed to shorten the cooking time for the cheesecake by at least 15 minutes, to make it creamier. The 1:30 total is too long and dries out the cheesecake. Was really disappointed in the outcome (although, might just be perfect with the cake and frosting alone!) The frosting is awesome.