Pumpkin Chocolate Bundt Cake is the perfect blend of pumpkin and chocolate swirled into a bundt cake. Perfect for fall, Halloween, or to celebrate a half birthday!
This Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake taught me that I do indeed love pumpkin. Especially when you combine it with chocolate.
I guess I should have clued in earlier since pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are a couple of my other favorites.
Several years ago, Bake at 350 wrote a post about celebrating half birthdays with half a cake, and I was sold. Birthdays have always been a big deal to me, so celebrating twice a year? With cake? Deal! This is the cake that kicked off that tradition for us.
This pumpkin chocolate bundt cake is moist yet light and airy. It’s got a fancy swirl thanks to the chocolate, and yet it’s incredibly easy to make. It’s made with pure pumpkin without any pumpkin spice, so it’s not as intense.
We love it plain, with a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top, but you could just as easily add a glaze or ganache on top.
Pumpkin Marble Cake
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Makes enough to serve 16 slices! That’s enough for a large crowd or a smaller crowd with leftovers.
- You’ll love the combination of chocolate and pumpkin.
- The texture of the cake is moist, soft, and tender.
- Can be kept plain and simple or dressed up for any occasion.
Helpful Tools
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Chocolate chips – I use good quality Ghirardelli chocolate chips. Just because they melt beautifully, they taste great, and since there aren’t too many ingredients in this cake, it’s nice to use quality ingredients wherever possible.
- Pure pumpkin – Either canned pumpkin purée or homemade pumpkin purée will work. If using canned pumpkin, make sure it’s not the pumpkin pie filling.
- Milk – I use 2% milk, but any milk will do.
- Baking staples – You’ll need vanilla, large eggs, vegetable oil, white sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda.
How to make Pumpkin Chocolate Bundt Cake
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step 1: Melt chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until fully melted. Allow it to cool while you continue the rest of the batter.
- Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and oil. Add the pumpkin, milk, and sugar, and continue whisking.
- Step 3: Sprinkle in the flour, salt, and baking soda. With a spatula, give it a gentle stir to make sure the dry ingredients are just blended with the wet ingredients. Then, with a hand mixer, mix for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Step 4: Scoop out some of the pumpkin batter into melted chocolate and stir to combine.
We mix the melted chocolate with some of the cake batter so that the chocolate on its own doesn’t sink, and it becomes chocolate cake rather than just melted chocolate.
Pour about 1/3 of the pumpkin batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread it evenly. Then, pour half of the chocolate batter overtop the pumpkin layer, and once again spread it evenly. Repeat the layers, ending with pumpkin.
- Step 5: Use a butter knife or skewer to swirl the layers, creating a marbled look. Do not overmix. Jiggle the pan to level it and bake for 50-60 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven. Cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack before turning it out onto a cake plate.
- Be sure to spray your bundt pan with a generous amount of cooking spray. You want it to glide out easily once you turn it over onto a serving plate.
- Between each time you add the batter to the pan, give it a little jiggle. This will help level it out and get rid of any air bubbles.
- Work quickly when adding the cake layers. The chocolate can stiffen too early.
- To test a bundt cake to see whether it’s done, you do the same as you would any other cake. Insert a toothpick into the center of it. If it comes out clean, it’s ready.
- If your bundt cake isn’t releasing, gently run a butter knife around the edges to loosen it. Then, try again.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
This pumpkin marble cake doesn’t need refrigeration. Leftovers can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 6 days.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze either the whole cake or individual slices. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (you can also add a layer of foil for added protection from freezer burn), and transfer it to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature and enjoy a piece or two for up to 6 months later!
FAQs
Can I use applesauce as a substitute for the oil?
Whether you’re using vegetable oil or canola oil, I recommend swapping just half of it for the applesauce. This way it’ll still be just as moist. I worry that if you swap all of it, it’ll change the texture too much.
Do I have to melt the chocolate, or can I just mix in some chocolate chips?
If you’re not interested in making a marbled cake, you can definitely make it a pumpkin bundt cake with chocolate chips. Toss the chocolate chips in cocoa powder or flour before adding them to the batter so they don’t sink to the bottom.
Can I add some pumpkin spice to this chocolate pumpkin bundt cake?
Sure! If that’s the flavor you want in yours, go ahead and add some pumpkin spice mix to the batter.
Need more bundt cake recipes? Try these:
Click here to view my entire collection of bundt cake recipes.
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Pumpkin Chocolate Bundt Cake
Video
Equipment
- 12 cup Bundt Pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup chocolate chips I use Ghirardelli chocolate baking chips
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 15 ounces pure pumpkin
- 1 cup milk I use 2%
- 1 ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 12-cup (10") bundt pan fairly liberally with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Add the chocolate chips to a medium microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir, heat another 30 seconds, stir. Repeat until fully melted. Set aside to cool while you work on the rest of the batter.3/4 cup chocolate chips
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, vanilla, and oil and whisk together.4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- Add in the pumpkin, milk, and sugar and whisk together.15 ounces pure pumpkin, 1 cup milk, 1 ½ cup granulated white sugar
- Add in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir with a spatula to slightly bring it together then switch to a hand mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes.3 cups all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Scoop out approximately 2 cups of the pumpkin batter and add it to the melted chocolate. Stir to fully combine, working fairly quickly as the chocolate can stiffen.
- Pour approximately 1/3 of the pumpkin batter into the bundt pan and spread it into an even layer with a spatula.
- Pour approximately half of the chocolate batter into the bundt pan on top of the pumpkin layer. Gently spread it with a spatula then jiggle to even it out.
- Repeat the layers (pumpkin, chocolate, pumpkin, chocolate, pumpkin) ending with pumpkin on the top.
- Use a butter knife or a skewer to gently swirl the chocolate layers into the pumpkin to create the marbled look. Don’t over mix.
- After swirling, jiggle the pan one more time to level it off then bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for approximately 20 minutes on a wire rack before you flip it over onto a serving plate.
Notes
- Generously spray bundt pan with cooking spray to help the cake release cleanly.
- Jiggle the pan gently after each batter addition to level layers and remove air bubbles.
- Work quickly when layering—chocolate can firm up fast.
- Test doneness with a toothpick—if it comes out clean, it’s done.
- If stuck, run a butter knife around the edges before inverting.
- Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 6 days.
- To freeze: wrap whole or sliced cake in plastic (plus foil, if desired), and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temp before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @melissa_pplates so I can see!Originally published October 1, 2014; photos and text updated September 7, 2024
Baby Girl turned 6 months/half a year last week (can you even believe it? I’ve been a mom for 6 months! So far, so good. And getting even better) and I was excited to start the half birthday/half cake tradition.
I’ve been meaning to jump on the pumpkin bandwagon (all the cool kids are doing it) and with this cake, I learned that I actually do like pumpkin.
The pumpkin flavor is mild but it adds a nice moistness to the cake. My favorite part, of course, was the chocolate swirl, but the pumpkin was nice, too. Next time I’m thinking I might even sprinkle in a layer of mini chocolate chips.
I kept one half and dropped half off to my parents. After all, they were celebrating being grandparents for half a year.
Baby Girl didn’t get any, but she did have pureed sweet potatoes to celebrate her halfsie and was quite pleased.
can you put a glaze on top of this and what would you suggest
Sure, I would do a chocolate glaze/ganache, but I love chocolate…and I also like it as-is 🙂
Cake is moist, everyone enjoyed it, but I didn’t get a real pumpkin taste. Just the chocolate flavor. I did add a chocolate ganache icing.
I’m sure the ganache (which sounds delicious) overtook the pumpkin, but I’m glad you liked it!