Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes

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These Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes have all the taste and feels of Fall, Halloween, and Día De Los Muertos.

These Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes are the Perfect Fall Treats!

If I could give you one example of what these Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes taste like, it would be Mexican hot chocolate. If Mexican hot chocolate was Mini Bundt Cake, this would be it! These Mini Skull Bundt Cakes are rich with two types of chocolate, moist from the addition of pumpkin, and have a warmth from the addition of cinnamon.

If you are searching for the perfect fall bundt cake or chocolate pumpkin bread recipe, this is it! This recipe hits all the fall, pumpkin, and cinnamon criteria with the decadence of two types of chocolate.

Ingredients:

Wet ingredients:

Butter: Room-temperature butter is needed for this recipe. You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. Whatever butter you have on hand will work in this recipe. The most important part of this recipe is that it is at room temperature so it can be creamed with the sugar.

Sugar: I recommend using regular granular or ultra-fine cane sugar: baker’s sugar in this recipe. You could also coconut sugar, for this recipe. Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than regular granular sugar. Coconut sugar adds additional warmth to a recipe.

Milk: Use whole milk for this recipe. Adding milk to this recipe adds fat, and flavor, it also helps with the proper texture of the cake.

Vanilla Extract: This is an important ingredient because vanilla extract enhances the flavor of other ingredients and adds depth of flavor to a baked good recipe.

Pumpkin Purée: Canned pumpkin puree is a great product. I use pre-canned pumpkin puree most of the time. However, when I have fall pumpkins to use, I make the pumpkin puree. Here are some recipes with different methods for making pumpkin puree if you’d like to make your own.

Two eggs: Eggs are an essential ingredient in baked goods. Eggs help to build volume and leaven baked goods. They also thicken and homogenize a recipe.

Dry ingredients:

Flour: All-purpose flour is best for this recipe.

Dutch Process Cocoa Powder: Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder is the cocoa powder used here. Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder is an extra dark bold flavored chocolate. Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder is a Dutch process chocolate, which means it has been alkalized to make the chocolate less acidic, closer to a neutral pH. The Dutch process makes the chocolate powder darker and gives the chocolate a softer, more palatable flavor.

Cinnamon: The cinnamon adds complexity and comfort to this granola. It is the spice of the cinnamon that makes the pumpkin taste like pumpkin and pulls the fall flavors together.

Baking Powder: Baking Powder is the necessary leavener for this recipe. Baking powder is responsible for the volume/cake rising.

Salt: This recipe uses Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt weighs much lighter and is a less salty salt per measure measurement. For example, Morton kosher salt, table salt, and sea salt are much saltier salts than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Please be aware and adjust the recipes as needed. It would be good to use measuring spoon measurements for salt instead of weight/gram measurements if you use a different brand of salt because Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt weighs lighter than all other salts.

Chocolate Chips: The chocolate chips are what make this recipe double chocolate. This recipe uses Guittard Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips. Adding a second form of chocolate makes this cake more decadent and gives the chocolate pumpkin bundt cakes a creamy chocolate mouth-feel finish. (If you use a good quality chocolate chip.)

double chocolate pumpkin cinnamon bundt cake ingredients

Equipment Need:

double chocolate pumpkin cinnamon skull cake bundt pan outside view
double chocolate pumpkin cinnamon skull cake bundt pan inside

How to Make Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes:

Ingredients:
  • 240 grams flour
  • 84 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder: Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt Diamond Kosher Salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 150 grams butter (room temperature)
  • 400 grams sugar
  • 144 grams milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 180 grams pumpkin purée
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Step by step instructions:

First, gather all the ingredients.

Then, preheat the oven to 325.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together.

cream butter and sugar

Next, add milk, vanilla extract, pumpkin purée, and eggs. Mix until well combined.

cream pumpkin milk egg vanilla extract

In a separable bowl, sift dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. (When using a sifter/mesh strainer choose one with larger holes for the flour to pass through. I have finer metal mesh strainners for stalk, puddings and ice cream bases etc, but I also have a set of OXO strainners because they sift dry goods better.)

woman in Sur la table is showing different mesh strainers for sifting and straining
sift flour and add cocoa powder
woman in apron is sifting cocoa powder
use-a-spoon-to-help-move-through-sifter
sifted dry ingredients

Now, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

add dry ingredients to wet

Mix wet and dry together until everything is thoroughly combined.

woman in apron is stirring to combine ingredients in chocolate batter

Finally, fold the chocolate chips to the cake batter.

fold in chocolate chips

Then, generously grease the skull cake pan.

butter skull mold
Fill cake Pan:

Now, fill the Bundt pans no more than 3/4 the way full.

double chocolate pumpkin cinnamon skull cake use a scooper to fill the batter in the skull cake pan

There is enough batter to make 12 cakes (to fill the skull cake mold twice).

Bake Cake in the oven:

Bake at 325 for 20 to 30 mins. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pan around for even cooking. *Bake times are a recommendation and basic guidelines as ALL ovens may vary in temperature or bake a bit differently.  Some ovens may need less time and some ovens may need more time.*

*Make sure that the oven has preheated to the recommended temperature. Take caution to not have the door of the oven open for too long before you put the cakes in the oven. Having the door open too long will result in losing too much heat in the oven.

Indications the cake is done:

Because all ovens’ temperatures and time can vary, it is important to learn the indications of a cake that is done baking. These indicators include, the edges of a a cake pulling away from the sides of a cake pan. The edge of the cake darkening. The cake is springy when you push down on it. And lastly, you can put a toothpick or wooden skewer in the middle of the cake and it comes out clean.

Of course, it is also important to not overcook your cake as well. As soon as you see the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan, keep a constant eye on the cake until you take the cake out of the oven.

Cool Cake Iniside the Pan for 10-15 Minutes:

When using Bundt pans or clakelet pans, allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for at least 10-15 minutes. This allows moisture to form between the cakes and the pan. The moisture helps the cakes release from the cake pan.

If you need extra help releasing the cake from the cake pan, you can use a thin long plastic knife, a spatula, or sometimes I use a wooden skewer or an offset spatula.

After 10 to 15 minutes of resting in the cake pan, turn the cakes out onto a serving plate, cake stand, or wire rack.

double chocolate pumpkin cinnamon skull cake on cooling rack close up

To do this, put a serving plate, cake stand, or baking rack over the cake pan and flip the Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes onto the serving plate, cake stand, or wire rack.

Enjoy!

double chocolate pumpkin cinnamon skull cakes on a cooling rack with small pumpkins delicata squash and kabocha squash

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes

Print Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Cooling Time:15 minutes
Total Time:1 hour

Ingredients

  • 240 grams flour
  • 84 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder: Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt Diamond Kosher Salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 150 grams butter room temperature
  • 400 grams sugar
  • 144 grams milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 180 grams pumpkin purée
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  • First, gather all the ingredients.
  • Then, preheat the oven to 325.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together.
  • Next, add milk, vanilla extract, pumpkin purée, and eggs. Mix until well combined.
  • In a separable bowl, sift dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
  • Now, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
  • Mix wet and dry together until everything is thoroughly combined.
  • Finally, fold the chocolate chips to the cake batter.
  • Then, generously grease the skull cake pan.
  • Now, fill the Bundt pans no more than 3/4 the way full.
  • There is enough batter to make 12 cakes (to fill the skull cake mold twice).
  • Bake at 325 for 20 to 30 mins. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pan around for even cooking. *Bake times are a recommendation and basic guidelines as ALL ovens may vary in temperature or bake a bit differently.  Some ovens may need less time and some ovens may need more time.*
  • *Make sure that the oven has preheated to the recommended temperature. Take caution to not have the door of the oven open for too long before you put the cakes in the oven. Having the door open too long will result in losing too much heat in the oven.
  • Because all ovens’ temperatures and time can vary, it is important to learn the indications of a cake that is done baking. These indicators include, the edges of a a cake pulling away from the sides of a cake pan. The edge of the cake darkening. The cake is springy when you push down on it. And lastly, you can put a toothpick or wooden skewer in the middle of the cake and it comes out clean.
  • Of course, it is also important to not overcook your cake as well. As soon as you see the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan, keep a constant eye on the cake until you take the cake out of the oven.
  • When using Bundt pans allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for at least 10-15 minutes. This allows moisture to form between the cakes and the pan. The moisture helps the cakes release from the cake pan.
  • If you need extra help releasing the cake from the cake pan, you can use a thin long plastic knife, a spatula, or sometimes I use a wooden skewer or an offset spatula.
  • After 10 to 15 minutes of resting in the cake pan, turn the cakes out onto a serving plate, cake stand, or wire rack.
  • To do this, put a serving plate, cake stand, or baking rack over the cake pan and flip the Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes onto the serving plate, cake stand, or wire rack.
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Bundt Cake, Chocolate Pumpkin, Fall, Halloween
Servings: 12

Try my fall recipes for: Sautéed Garlic Mushroom Skulls Deglazed with Wine, and Spooky Sausage Soup with Mushroom Skulls

Items I used: Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder, Diamond Kosher Salt, Baker’s Sugar, Granular Sugar, Cinnamon, Heat-Resistant Spatula, Nordic Ware Halloween Bakeware, Haunted Skull Cakelet Pan, OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Strainer Set, measuring spoons, ice-cream/dough scoop set, mixing bowl, Large Pyrex Measuring Cups

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cinnamon Skull Cakes Pinterest Pin

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