Pumpkin + Chocolate Marble Cake

There is infinite joy in walking through the market and finding it overflowing with sugar pumpkins! It’s such a warm feeling, and I want to buy all of them, if I could. You can therefore understand how there’s suddenly more than required amounts of pumpkin and pumpkin purée available around the house. So, in my effort to cook it all up into yummy goodies, here’s a simple one that is a crowd pleaser and will have even the pumpkin-haters asking for a second bite. We make one main batter, split that in two and use one half to make the chocolate batter that will then allow us to create the delightful marble effect. And to make things a little extra, there’s a beautiful layer of chocolate ganache to top it off!

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Ingredients

For the flour mix

  • 100g buckwheat flour

  • 100g white spelt flour

  • 25g ground almonds

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp baking powder

For the wet mix

  • 150g unsalted butter

  • 175g soft light brown sugar

  • 1 cup pumpkin purée

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

  • 1/4 cup milk

For the chocolate batter

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 1 tbsp honey

For the chocolate ganache

  • 45g dark chocolate

  • 2 tbsp double cream

  • 1 tbsp honey

Method of Preparation

  1. Prepare a 20cm round cake tin, and set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

  2. Sift the ingredients for the flour mix, and set aside.

  3. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter + sugar and whisk together until soft and creamy. Add the pumpkin purée + eggs + vanilla essence and whisk till it comes together. Slowly fold in the flour mix, in parts, till it’s well incorporated. Add the milk, and mix well. Transfer half the batter to a separate bowl to make the chocolate batter. Sift in the cocoa powder, and add the milk + honey, and mix well.

  4. Add a dollop of the plain batter to the prepared cake tin. Then add a dollop of the chocolate batter over it. Keep alternating till both batters have been transferred to the cake tin, and gently shake the tin so the batter evens out. Use a toothpick or skewer to create a few swirls.

  5. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover the cake tin with kitchen foil and bake for 20 minutes more, till a toothpick comes out clean.

  6. Remove from the oven, and allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

  7. In the meantime, prepare the chocolate ganache topping by placing the chocolate in a double boiler, and allowing it to melt. Once the chocolate has melted, add the cream + honey and give it a good stir till it all comes together. Remove from the heat, and use as frosting on the cooled cake. Place in the refrigerator for ~1 hour and allow it to set.

  8. Serve alongside a hot cup of coffee!