Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Cake

​Anybody else like to wander through local garden centers during the month of October as much as I do?  Their Fall displays are so beautiful and yet not so much that they inspire me to recreate one on my own front porch.

​It's not that I haven't made an attempt at a front porch Fall display, it's just that I failed miserably.  Several years ago, I bought corn stalks, pumpkins, a hay bale and some mums but something went terribly wrong with the whole assembly process.

​I now have a greater appreciate for the garden center displays because I know that it takes an artistic eye to pull that all together.  (Something I was apparently lacking.)  I wish that I had taken some pictures of it but at the time, but I was probably too embarrassed or didn't want to document my pitiful display.  Maybe one day, I will seek some assistance from a professional and attempt another display for the Davis front porch but for now, I'll just enjoy and appreciate the Fall displays at the garden centers.

​I came home totally inspired - not to make a Fall display on my porch but to make pumpkin dessert.  (Pretty sure that was NOT the goal.) Anyway, I decided to make a pumpkin chocolate marble cake.  
I tried a new one this year and it was definitely a winning combination.

Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Cake
Cake:
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
5 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cups cake flour, divided
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder, divided
1/2 tsp. baking soda, divided
1 tsp. salt, divided
3/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa
1 1/3 cup regular or low-fat buttermilk, divided
Cream Cheese Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 oz. (1/2 cup) regular or low-fat cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3-4 tbsp. milk (or more if you want a thinner glaze)

Preheat oven to 350. Rub a bundt pan and dust with 1 tbsp. flour until the interior is covered. Tap lightly to shake loose extra flour. Set aside.

​Spread pumpkin puree over two layers of paper towels and press two more layers on top. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Cream butter until light. Add both sugars in a steady stream and mix on medium for about 5 minutes.

​Add eggs, one at time, mixing well after each. Add in vanilla.​​  Transfer half of the mixture into another large bowl 

Scape the pumpkin off of the paper towel and add it to the first bowl. Mix well.

Combine 1 3/4 cup flour, pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.

​Add half of the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Mix in 1/3 cup buttermilk. Add the remaining flour.

Combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup cocoa, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.

​Add half of the flour/cocoa mixture to the other large bowl. Mix in 1 cup of buttermilk. Add remaining flour and mix until combined.

​Spoon 1/3 of the pumpkin batter into your prepared pan. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the chocolate batter around the pan (not completely covering all the pumpkin).

​Spoon in the remaining pumpkin and chocolate batters. Gently swirl a knife around the pan several times.

​Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (make sure you’re checking in both the pumpkin and chocolate parts, I noticed large chocolate sections needed a few additional minutes).

​Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool for another 10 minutes on a rack.

​​To make the glaze, mix powdered sugar and cream cheese until well blended. Beat in vanilla and milk, 1 tbsp. at time.

​Drizzle on the warm cake. Let cake cool completely.

​Slice and serve.

​By the way, I want to send a shout out to The Family Tree garden center in Snellville, Georgia for their fabulous Fall displays AND for allowing me to come and photograph them all.  These are a few of my favorite pics from my stroll through the nursery last week.

​Fall just wouldn't be Fall without a little pumpkin cake to go along with the beautiful displays.

Happy Fall everyone.  
Ciao!

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