Pumpkin Chocolate Birthday Cake

Claire's birthday was last week and I am feeling a little behind on blogging. She just went down for a nap so hopefully I can get this written before she wakes up. 

I should preface this by saying I love pumpkin stuff. From jack o lanterns to cookies, anything with pumpkin in it tastes good. This was definitely a factor in choosing a birthday cake for my little girl. Plus, her birthday is in the middle of October, right at pumpkin harvesting time. 

Lets get to it. Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons Flour
1 cup Baking Cocoa
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Fresh-Grated Nutmeg
3/4 cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree(you could use the fresh stuff from a pumpkin if you're feeling up to it)
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 stick Unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/2 cup (firmly packed) Dark Brown Sugar
1 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
5 large Eggs

i just noticed That the first letter of every word I write is capitalized. i don't know how to make that go away.

Anyways, lets get baking!

A layered cake is tricky, especially for someone how has never made more than a rectangle box cake by doing nothing but adding eggs and milk. You will need a round cake pan. Three would be prime because you could cook them all at once. I did it with just one pan. 

preheat the oven to 350F

Begin by cutting out a circle piece of wax paper to put in the bottom of your cake pan. It makes removing the cake way easier. Put butter or baking spray on it if you so desire. 

Now we put all the dry stuff into one bowl mixing them together as we add. That means, the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another bowl mix the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla. In yet a third bowl, beat the eggs, butter and sugar together.

Now we put it all together. Add the dry stuff mixture(flour etc.) to the eggs bowl. then add the pumpkin buttermilk mixture. So your third bowl should probably be the biggest. Is it confusing yet?

Now we bake

Pour you batter into three pans(or one if thats all you have). we bake for about 30 minutes or until a fork come out clean when you poke it in the middle. let the cakes cook for a good long while before you try and remove them from the pan. 

Now we stack it. Take the first cake and cover it with you frosting of choice. I used a fall vanilla frosting. when its frosted add a cake tot he tower and repeat. When you're done it will look like this:

Happy Baking

Read more: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and Cupcakes Recipe - Country Living 
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