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This is a rich and tender Bundt cake that uses a whole can of pumpkin purée. A big bowl of pumpkin batter is split in two, one half flavored with a heavy shower of cocoa powder, the rest left bright orange and spiked with a bit of cinnamon. The end result is a cake so beautiful and lofty, it’s hard to imagine it was made entirely by hand, no mixer needed. Marble cakes are an eternal surprise, each slice yielding a new pattern, and the dramatic tiger stripes on this one are a sight to behold. This is just the thing to make for a crowd, or a lazy weekend when you know you’ll be stuck indoors. The cake keeps well at room temperature for a few days under a cake dome or inverted salad bowl.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Yield
12–16 servings
Ingredients
Cake
Ganache and Assembly
Special Equipment:
Preparation
Cake
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Generously coat pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray or unsalted butter, room temperature, making sure to get every crevice. Whisk 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour and 2 tsp. baking powder in a medium bowl to combine. Whisk 3 large eggs, one 15-oz. can pumpkin purée, 2¼ cups (450 g) sugar, 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, and 2½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated (batter will be lumpy). Spoon 3 cups (720 g) batter into medium bowl that held dry ingredients. Place a fine-mesh sieve over bowl and sift ½ cup (42 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder into batter. Add 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add ½ tsp. ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to pumpkin batter in large bowl; mix in with a clean spatula.
Step 2
Scrape half of plain pumpkin batter (eyeballing is fine) into prepared pan, then scrape half of chocolate batter over. Repeat layers with remaining plain pumpkin and chocolate batters. Smooth surface. (Do not run a knife through to marble.)
Step 3
Bake cake until a wooden tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 55–65 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 20 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; let cool completely.
Ganache and Assembly
Step 4
While the cake is cooling, bring ½ cup heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, add 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped, or semisweet chocolate chips (about ¾ cup) and ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt, and whisk until ganache is smooth and glossy. Scrape into a small bowl; let cool.
Step 5
Pour ganache over cake, letting it drip down sides. Chill until ganache is set, 20–30 minutes. Transfer cake to a cake stand or large plate to serve.
Do Ahead: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving if desired.
Recipe notes
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