Double chocolate pumpkin pecan loaf cake
As much as I love chocolate -- and I do love chocolate -- I seldom bake or eat chocolate cake. Truth be told, I'm more of a cookie gal. However, when the pantry presented me with all of the ingredients for this double chocolate pumpkin pecan loaf cake, including some canned pumpkin left from baking these pumpkin chocolate chip biscotti, I couldn't resist.
Despite the presence of chocolate chips, this cake is not overly sweet, yet it's melt-in-your-mouth moist. Kathy and I thought a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt would make a perfect topping, but we didn't have any on hand when we took the photographs. (Good thing, too, or you'd be seeing even less of the cake than you are now.) Make your cake ahead, let it cool completely, cut it in half cross-wise and freeze it. That way you'll have some on hand for the holidays, and some for a lucky friend or two who might stop in for afternoon tea.
Double chocolate pumpkin pecan loaf cake
From the pantry, you'll need: unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, powdered ginger, cocoa powder, eggs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, confectioners sugar, baking spray.
Adapted from this recipe on Cajun Cooking Recipes Cooking Blog. Serves 10-12.
Ingredients
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup skim milk
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Baking spray
1 tsp confectioners sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with baking spray, and set aside.
In a Kitchenaid-type stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, pumpkin, and cocoa; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a mixing bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well-combined. Add to the wet ingredients in the mixer alternately with milk until well incorporated. Remove the mixer bowl, and stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Turn the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in pan at least 30 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely. [At this point, you can wrap the cake in foil and then in plastic wrap, and freeze.]
Sift confectioners sugar over the top before serving.
More cake:
Coffee cake with espresso-cocoa swirl, from The Perfect Pantry
Red velvet cake, from Pinch My Salt
Cocoa banana coffee cake, from The Canadian Baker
Fudgy Earl Grey chocolate cake, from What We're Eating
Disclosure: The Perfect Pantry earns a few pennies on purchases made through the Amazon.com links in this post. Thank you for supporting this site when you start your shopping here.
Loaf cakes are about the only kind of cake I attempt, so this sounds perfect!
I haven't had chocolate cake in a long time, but this one got me - double chocolate with all those spices and pumpkin! Yum!
This chocolate pecan loaf does look tempting and I as well don;t usually eat chocolate cakes! :)
Pam, same here. I'm not much of a baker, so almost everything I bake has to be a loaf cake.
Jeanette, I really am not a cake person, but this one hit the spot with a cup of decaf in mid-afternoon.
Foodwanderings, it was such a departure for me to bake a chocolate cake. The leftover pumpkin puree in my fridge inspired it.
Wow! Double chocolate, pumpkin AND pecans? You hit all my favorite ingredients in one loaf!
I love everything about this loaf cake.
Curt, this cake tastes really chocolatey, with just a hint of the pumpkin. So delicious.
Maria, me too! It's a great quick cake to have in the repertoire, especially around this time of year when we often have some leftover canned pumpkin in the fridge.
This looks super delicious. I love pumpkin and chocolate together and this definitely mixes it up from my usual plain pumpkin bread with chocolate chips.
Lily, I love chocolate and chocolate chips together! The pumpkin keeps it moist. Definitely a winner!
Guests! Afternoon Tea! no way... this is to be made late at night after hubby has gone to bed with all evidence gone before morning! no sharing here! :-)
(but maybe I will just make it for the office potluck)
Looks delicious. I love pumpkin for baking! It adds so much moisture without all the fat of oil. Plus, it's much more flavorful ;) Bookmarking this one for the holidays.
Hi Lydia, This looks yummy. Good job having your blog listed in the Typepad newsletter. Awesome. Happy Holidays!
Oh this is calling my name! Stunning! I have been wondering if I should make a loaf of pumpkin bread but wow is this sooo much better! Absolutely love this!