Name: Layered Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: Servings 24 slices
Ingredients: 6 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 4 cups granulated sugar; ⅔ cup cocoa powder, natural unsweetened; 4 teaspoons baking powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 8 large eggs, room temperature; 2 cups vegetable oil; 4 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3 cups hot water, or hot brewed coffee; 16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature; 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling; 5 cups powdered sugar; ½ cup heavy whipping cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon ground cloves; 1 cup chopped pecans, optional

This layered chocolate cake with pumpkin cream cheese filling is the show-stopping fall dessert you'll want on every holiday table. Six thin, moist chocolate cake layers are stacked with a silky, lightly spiced pumpkin cream cheese filling and finished with a crunchy crown of chopped pecans.

Layered chocolate cake with pumpkin cream cheese frosting topped with chopped pecans on a white plate

Don't let all those layers fool you into thinking this is a hard cake to make. The chocolate batter comes together in one bowl, the filling is a quick whip with a hand mixer, and the "naked" frosting style means there's no fussy smoothing required. Every bite gives you rich chocolate cake and velvety pumpkin filling in equal measure.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Cocoa powder. Use a natural unsweetened cocoa powder like Anthony's Organic. The baking soda in this batter needs the natural acidity of regular cocoa to rise properly, so save Dutch-process cocoa for another recipe.
Vegetable oil. Oil (not butter) is what keeps these thin layers moist and tender, even straight from the fridge. Canola oil or any other neutral oil can be swapped in one-for-one.
Hot water. Adding hot water at the end blooms the cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor and gives you a thin batter that bakes into soft, even layers. For an even richer cake, use hot brewed coffee instead; it won't taste like coffee, just more chocolatey.
Pumpkin puree. Grab a can of 100% pure pumpkin such as Libby's, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. Homemade roasted pumpkin puree works too; just blot it with paper towels if it looks watery so the filling stays thick.
Cream cheese. Full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature, gives the filling its body. Tub-style or reduced-fat cream cheese has more water and will make the filling loose.
Warm spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves give the filling its pumpkin-pie flavor. If you'd rather use one jar, swap all three for 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.
Pecans. A handful of chopped pecans on top adds crunch and a gorgeous finish. Walnuts are a good substitute, or leave the nuts off entirely for a nut-free cake. It will taste just as good.

Pumpkin puree added to whipped cream cheese in a glass bowl for the pumpkin cream cheese filling

Helpful Tips

Spoon and level your flour. The most common cause of a dry chocolate cake is too much flour. Scooping the measuring cup straight into the bag packs the flour down, so spoon it into the cup instead and level it off with the flat edge of a knife. Watching the oven closely matters too: start checking the layers at 25 minutes, because thin layers go from moist to overbaked quickly.

Expect a thin batter. Once the hot water goes in, the batter will look much looser than a typical cake batter. That's exactly right. Stir it in on low speed only until smooth, and don't keep beating once everything is combined, or the cake can turn out tough.

Hot water being poured into chocolate cake batter in a glass mixing bowl

No six pans? Bake in batches. Most of us don't own six cake pans. A set of three 8-inch round cake pans works perfectly: bake three layers, let the pans cool, wipe them out, re-line them with parchment, and bake the rest. The batter is fine sitting at room temperature while it waits. Weighing the batter into each pan on a kitchen scale gives you perfectly even layers.

Whip the filling with a mixer. A stand mixer or hand mixer is the key to a light, silky filling. Beat the softened cream cheese smooth before adding the powdered sugar, then whip in the pumpkin, cream, and spices until fluffy. You can do it with a whisk in a pinch, but it takes a good amount of arm power to get the same whipped texture.

Pumpkin cream cheese filling being whipped with a hand mixer in a glass bowl

Level, stack, and chill. Let the layers cool completely, then trim the domed tops with a cake leveler or long serrated knife so the cake stacks straight. Save the scraps for pumpkin cake pops. Eyeball about one-sixth of the filling for each layer and don't worry if a little squeezes out the sides; you'll scrape it around the outside for that rustic look. Chill the finished cake for at least an hour so the filling sets and slices cleanly.

Chocolate cake layer on a plate with a dollop of pumpkin cream cheese filling in the center

Variations

Fewer, thicker layers. Bake the batter in three 9-inch pans for 30 to 35 minutes for a classic three-layer cake. You'll have a little extra filling for the sides.
Salted caramel drizzle. Warm some caramel sauce and drizzle it over the top and down the sides, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt and the pecans.
Chocolate chip crunch. Scatter mini chocolate chips over each layer of filling, or swap the pecans on top for chocolate shavings.
All-pumpkin cake. Love pumpkin through and through? Try our layered pumpkin cake with pumpkin ganache filling for a spiced cake version.
Cupcakes. Fill lined muffin cups two-thirds full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, then pipe the filling on top as a frosting. You'll get about 48 cupcakes, so halve the recipe if you need fewer.
Filling on its own. The pumpkin filling is delicious anywhere. Our standalone pumpkin cream cheese filling is great for rolls, crepes, and cookie sandwiches.

Six thin chocolate cake layers stacked with pumpkin cream cheese filling between each layer

Serving Ideas

This cake is rich, so thin slices go a long way, which makes it a great choice for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, and fall birthdays. Use a long, sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts to show off all six clean stripes of chocolate and pumpkin.

Serve it slightly chilled with a cup of coffee or a pumpkin spice latte, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or warm up some hot fudge sauce for chocolate lovers to spoon over the top. Putting together a whole fall dessert table? Browse our favorite pumpkin desserts for easy companions.

Storing & Freezing

Because of the cream cheese in the filling, keep this cake in the refrigerator. Cover it with a cake dome or loosely with plastic wrap and it will stay fresh for up to 4 days. If you prefer it closer to room temperature, slice what you need and let it sit out for 20 to 30 minutes before serving, but don't leave the cake on the counter for more than 2 hours. To get ahead, bake the layers up to 2 days early, wrap them well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate, then whip up the filling and assemble on the day you serve.

This cake freezes well. Freeze the unfrosted layers wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months, or freeze the assembled cake (or individual slices) uncovered until firm, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped, and add the pecans just before serving so they stay crunchy.

More Pumpkin Desserts

If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:

Recipe

Layered Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

Yield Servings 24 slices
Prep Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Cook Time 30 mins
Total Total Time 3 hrs

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

6 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
4 cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup cocoa powder, natural unsweetened
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
8 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups vegetable oil
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups hot water, or hot brewed coffee

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
5 cups powdered sugar
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Topping

1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray six 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. (If you have fewer pans, see the note about baking in batches.)
2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda.
3
In a separate large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes.
4
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the hot water and mix until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin. Do not overmix.
5
Divide the batter evenly between the six prepared pans (a kitchen scale helps). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
6
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each pan to loosen the cake, turn the layers out onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment, and let them cool completely, about 1 hour.
7
Level each cooled cake with a cake leveler or long serrated knife to remove the domed top. Discard the tops or save them for cake pops or cake truffles.
8
For the filling, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar on low speed, beating until all of the sugar is incorporated.
9
Add the pumpkin puree, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. If you want to pipe decorations on top of the cake, set aside a small amount of filling in a piping bag.
10
To assemble, place one cake layer cut side down on a cake plate. Spread about ⅙ of the filling evenly over the top. Repeat with the remaining cake layers and filling, finishing with a layer of filling on top. Scrape any filling that squeezes out along the sides of the cake to lightly frost it.
11
Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the cake and pipe any reserved filling, if using. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the filling sets before slicing.

Notes. Baking in batches: If you have fewer than six 8-inch pans, bake three layers at a time. Let the pans cool, re-line them with parchment, and bake the remaining batter. Add about 30 minutes to the total time. Storage: Refrigerate the cake, covered, for up to 4 days. Freeze wrapped layers or slices for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.