Happy Birthday Pumpkin Cake with Ganache

 

For my sister's birthday, I made her this pumpkin layer cake

along with some delicious Pumpkin White Chocolate Fudge

that I previously posted about.  You can check it out HERE.

 

 

This cake has a cream cheese and whipped cream filling

with a semi-sweet chocolate ganache  poured over

and was delicious! If you are a bittersweet

chocolate lover feel free to use that! 

 

Here is the recipe:

 

Pumpkin Cake with Ganache Icing

 

Cake and Filling Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Note:  I made this cake recipe twice to get a total of 4 cake layers.

 



Ganache Ingredients:

2 - 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate bars (I use Ghiradelli)

1 cup heavy cream

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease bottoms of two 8 inch round cake pans.  Line bottoms with parchment paper.  Grease sides of pans and lightly flour.  In one bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt.  In a second mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar with mixer until thickened - about 5 minutes.  Add pumpkin and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Spread cake batter evenly into prepared pans.  Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then turn out keeping tops up, and cool completely.

 

For filling:

Chill your mixing bowl then beat whipping cream to soft peaks.  Set aside.  In a second mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add and beat in confectioner's sugar.  Carefully fold in the whipped cream.

 

To assemble cake layers:

Place one cake layer on a cardboard cake round (I used an 8 inch so the ganache would pour down the sides).  Spread cream cheese mixture over bottom cake layer and continue with other layers.  Carefully place on a wire rack sitting on top of a sheet pan.

 

For ganache:

Finely chop the semi-sweet chocolate bar and place in a bowl set on top of a double boiler (a sauce pan with an inch of simmering water is fine).  As the chocolate begins to melt, pour in the heavy cream.  Let sit as it warms and melt.  Stir until completely combined and is a shiny smooth consistency.

 

To complete assembly:

Pour warm ganache over cake starting on the top, letting it smooth out and drip down the sides.  Do not go back over the top or it will not stay smooth.  Working quickly, it helps to use a spoon to help spread the ganache on the sides covering any cake still showing.  The trick is to complete the pour while the ganache is still warm.  It will begin setting up quickly so work fast! :)

 

Let cake sit to firm up before carefully moving to a serving platter.  I do not like to put the ganache in the frig so its best to assemble the day it is eaten (because of the cream cheese filling).

 

Enjoy and thank you for visiting!

 

I will be joining the linky party at: 

 

Fondly,

~Karen