Description

This Marbled Pumpkin Snacking Cake offers a delightful balance between rich pumpkin flavors and chocolatey sweetness. Perfectly moist and tender with a beautiful marbled effect, this cake is sweetened naturally with brown sugar and maple syrup, complemented by cozy autumn spices. The cake is topped with a luscious chocolate buttercream and mini chocolate chips, making it an irresistible treat for fall or any time you’re craving a comforting dessert.

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

1 cup (240 grams) pumpkin puree
3 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (106 grams) packed brown sugar (or substitute coconut sugar)
¼ cup (78 grams) pure maple syrup
½ cup (113 grams) plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (2% or whole milk)
6 tablespoons (85 grams) salted butter, melted and cooled (or coconut oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

1 ¾ cups (196 grams) fine blanched almond flour
1 cup (95 grams) oat flour, gluten free if desired
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Mix-ins

¼ cup (20 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup (90 grams) mini chocolate chips

Frosting and Topping

½ batch of Dad’s Chocolate Buttercream
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top

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Instructions

Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper or grease it with nonstick cooking spray to ensure easy removal of the cake.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, Greek yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Add the dry ingredients: To the bowl with the wet ingredients, add the almond flour, oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix thoroughly until the batter is smooth and evenly combined. Don’t worry about overmixing here.
Divide the batter and add cocoa: Separate the batter into two equal portions, placing half into another medium bowl. To one portion, stir in the unsweetened cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips until well blended and smooth.
Layer and marble the batter: Using a medium cookie scoop, place dollops of pumpkin batter alternating with the chocolate batter at the bottom of the prepared pan. Once the entire bottom is covered, gently tap and shimmy the pan to settle the batter. Repeat layering both batters on top of the first layer, then tap and smooth the top with a spatula. Swirl the mixture gently in zig-zag and figure-eight motions with a butter knife, being careful not to over-swirl to keep a beautiful marbled look. Tap again to smooth the surface.
Bake the cake: Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting: Prepare half of Dad’s Chocolate Buttercream recipe as directed, halving all ingredient amounts.
Frost the cake: Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips and a pinch of flaky sea salt on top. Slice the cake into 12 to 16 pieces and serve.

Notes

If you prefer a simpler cake, you can skip the frosting. This cake is equally delicious with an extra ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top before baking.
You can substitute coconut sugar for brown sugar for a different sweetness profile.
Ensure eggs are at room temperature for best mixing and texture.
Use gluten-free oat flour if you need to keep the recipe gluten-free.
To get a perfect marbled effect, don’t over-swirl the batter.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American