Pumpkin Week may be over but the pumpkin party doesn’t stop here at AK. Especially when I just so happened to whip up a brand new snacking cake for all of your fall baking adventures.
This beautiful, gluten-free marbled pumpkin cake is one of those desserts you’ll dream about for DAYS after making. It’s loaded with warming spices, rich cocoa, and real pumpkin puree, and you know I had to go all in with the fluffiest chocolate buttercream frosting.
TBH its absolutely delicious with or without the frosting, so you do you when it comes to this cake! Share it for any upcoming birthdays or holidays — everyone will be begging you for this recipe.
FREE Pumpkin Recipe E-Book
Sign up below and get a FREE printable e-book with my best sweet and savory pumpkin recipes straight to your inbox!
Everything you’ll need to make this marbled pumpkin cake
Yes, pumpkin and chocolate belong together, and yes, this beautiful, gluten-free chocolate pumpkin cake will be your new fav way to enjoy those flavors. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Pumpkin: feel free to use store-bought pumpkin puree, or make your own from a fresh pumpkin using this tutorial!
- Eggs: you’ll need 3 eggs to help the cake bake up.
- Sweetener: we’re sweetening this cake with both brown sugar and maple syrup for that yummy molasses flavor.
- Moisture: this cake gets its fudgy texture from a little Greek yogurt and melted butter. Feel free to use vanilla or plain Greek yogurt (whole milk or 2% yogurt are great).
- Flours: we’re using a mix of fine blanched almond flour and oat flour to keep the cake gluten-free. I love the texture that this flour combination provides.
- Spices & baking staples: you’ll add pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract for flavor, plus baking powder AND baking soda to help the cake bake up.
- Chocolate: get that marbling effect by mixing unsweetened cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips into half of the batter.
Jazz it up with a luscious frosting
Yes, this marbled pumpkin cake is incredible on its own, but I love to get extra by topping it with my Dad’s famous Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. It’s infused with a little cooled, brewed coffee to really bring out the chocolate flavors.
I also like to add more mini chocolate chips and flaky sea salt (because OMG it’s good).
Optional ingredient substitutions
As always, please follow the recipe as directed so that the cake turns out perfectly every time! There are a couple of easy swaps you can make without any problems:
- For the brown sugar: feel free to use coconut sugar instead. Otherwise, you can learn how to make your own brown sugar here!
- For the butter: you can easily swap the butter for vegan butter or coconut oil.
Can I make it dairy-free or vegan?
Please note that I have not tested these swaps in this chocolate pumpkin cake, so try them at your own risk and let me know in the comments how it goes!
- To make dairy-free: use dairy-free yogurt, vegan butter or coconut oil, and dairy-free chocolate chips in the cake itself, then use vegan butter and dairy-free milk in the frosting.
- To make vegan: use 3 flax eggs in place of the regular eggs, then follow the dairy-free ingredients.
How to make a marbled cake
I know the “marbling” in this pumpkin chocolate cake makes it look extra fancy, but it’s easier to do than you think!
- Make the pumpkin batter. You’ll start by making the full pumpkin cake batter, then evenly dividing the batter into 2 separate mixing bowls.
- Add the chocolate. Mix the cocoa powder and chocolate chips into ONE of the bowls of pumpkin cake batter.
- Layer the batters. Use a cookie scoop to scoop up the pumpkin batter and drop it into your cake pan, then do the same with the chocolate batter and drop it next to the pumpkin batter. Once the batter has covered the bottom, shimmy the pan so that the batter settles, then do an additional layer of both batters and use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Gently swirl. Use a butter knife to draw a few figure 8s in the batters to swirl them (just a few!) then gently tap and shimmy the pan to settle the batter before baking.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: I recommend storing this marbled pumpkin cake in an airtight glass container the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: let the cake cool, leave the frosting off, and then wrap it well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place the full cake in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. To serve it, thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight, then let the cake come to room temp before adding the frosting and serving it.
Tools you’ll need
Get all of my fav kitchen tools here!
More pumpkin treats you’ll love
- Salted Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling
- The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls You’ll Ever Eat
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
- Nourishing Almond Butter Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins (that taste like CAKE!)
- Best Ever Healthy Pumpkin Pie
Get all of my pumpkin recipes here, and my dessert recipes here!
I hope you love this marbled pumpkin snacking cake! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Marbled Pumpkin Snacking Cake
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients
- 1 cup (240 grams) pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (106g) packed brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- ¼ cup (78g) pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (113g) plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (2% or whole milk are great)
- 6 tablespoons (85g) salted butter (or melted and cooled) coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (196g) fine blanched almond flour
- 1 cup (95g) oat flour, gluten free if desired
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Mix-ins
- ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup (90g) mini chocolate chips
- Frosting and topping
- ½ batch of Dad’s Chocolate Buttercream
- 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8x8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper and/or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: In the same bowl with the wet ingredients, add the almond flour, oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined and smooth. (Do not worry about overmixing here!)
- Divide the batter in half; adding half of the batter to a separate medium bowl (about 1 ½ cups of batter). Stir in cocoa powder and ⅓ cup chocolate chips into one of the batters, mixing until combined and smooth.
- Layer the batters and marble: Use a medium cookie scoop to grab a scoop of the pumpkin batter and place in the pan, then alternate and scoop up some chocolate batter and place it next to the pumpkin batter at the bottom of the pan. Once the pan is completely covered with batter on the bottom you can gently shake/shimmy and tap the pan to settle the batter. Do not smooth it out just yet. Next, do an additional layer of each batter on top of the first marbled layer. Once you have used up all of the batter, you can tap and shake the pan, then smooth the top out with a spatula. Using a butter knife, gently swirl the mixture back and forth (in a zig-zag pattern) both vertically and horizontally. (I like to draw a few figure 8s in the batter and then be done with it.) Don’t go too crazy or the batter won’t look nice and swirled! Gently tap and shake the pan again to smooth out the batter.
- Bake the cake: Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: You can make HALF of the frosting as directed in the recipe. (Simply divide the ingredients in half!)
- Frost the cake: Add frosting to the top of the cake and evenly spread to the edges. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips all over the top. Cut into 12 or 16 slices and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
Hello, I love every recipe that I’ve made from your collection, and I’ve made many. This looks so good. Do you think I could make it in a loaf pan? Also, I’m missing Good Mood Comfort Food.. Will it be coming back? Thanks for all the yummy meals and treats..
Linda
So happy to hear that! This should work in a 9×5 inch loaf pan – let me know if you try it 🙂 I have some other focuses right now, but will definitely keep more episodes in mind down the road! Glad you were loving the series!
Hello, I was wondering if I could substitute the Greek yogurt with a thick unflavored coconut yogurt. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. I can’t wait to make it
I think that should work as long as it’s the same consistency as regular Greek yogurt 🙂 Let me know if you try it!
Hopped on this immediately! I made it and took it to work and everyone enjoyed it. If like me you happen to not have almond flour and sub for all purpose or cake flour it will work fine – although I think I overmixed as the cake was dense. That note probably doesn’t apply when using a gluten flour.
I’m glad everyone liked it! Yes, the flour swap likely created a dense cake (and/or potential over-mixing).
A new tradition for the season! This is kid-approved and already a lunchbox favorite. Love the chocolate frosting on a pumpkin dessert. Moist gluten-free goodness.
So happy to hear that!
I can’t really read it as I haven’t tried it, but I have a question. Can I make this two days ahead of time? I guess I wonder how long does it keep and stay fresh?
Sorry typo- can’t RATE it
This should be fine for 2 days! I’d recommend storing in the fridge.
Hi,
How do I make pumpkin puree? I have never worked with pumpkins before, but want to try this cake out!
Hi! Use my tutorial here 🙂
I made this cake for a Halloween work potluck and it was a big hit!! Thank you for your yummy recipes.
So happy to hear that!!
Oh my goodness, this cake was DELICIOUS! I made it for my family and everyone gobbled it down. You’d never know it was gluten free. I ended up using your two-ingredient frosting instead of the buttercream one in order to stay dairy free. I’ll definitely make this again!
So happy to hear that! Such a great dessert!
Can you use only oat flour in this recipe?
I wouldn’t recommend it! The texture will be different.
Oh my goodness! I’ve made this twice and will make it again and again! I didn’t change a thing about the recipe. My husband says the chocolate batter is the best chocolate cake he’s ever had. If I were to make the whole batter chocolate, how would I do that? I don’t plan to eliminate the pumpkin batter, just add enough chocolate to make it entirely a chocolate/pumpkin cake without the swirls!
So happy to hear that! Instead of dividing the batter in half, keep it all in one bowl and double the cocoa powder + chocolate chips 🙂
This cake looks amazing!! If I want to turn it into a two layer cake, do you recommend doubling it and making it in two round cake pans? Do you think it would hold together to layer it? Thank you!!
Yes, you could make the recipe as-is and use 2 6-inch round cake pans, or double it and bake it in 2 9-inch round cake pans!
This is a delicious snacking cake. It comes together quick beautifully. I’ve made it 3 times. I do not use the frosting. I sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top after baking. I did drizzle a bit of ganache on one pan. This recipe freezes nicely. I am taking it to Thanksgiving dinner to share. I love that it is gluten free for those who prefer. I love that it might be healthier than other baked goods.
Amazing! So happy you love it, and I hope everyone did as well 🙂
Hi
I dont get pumpkin puree in india, can I use mashed bananas instead of punpkin puree to make banana marble cake, if this can work, I ll give it a try
I’ve only tested this recipe with pumpkin, which has a bit more moisture than bananas, so I wouldn’t recommend it! Try these marbled banana muffins instead 🙂
Hi,
I tried this recipe with banana, omitted choco chips and it worked, but it was sweet even without frosting!
Amazing recipe, but can you help me on how I can reduce the sweetness to pair it with chocolate frosting?
and can I make muffins with this recipe, will it work?
Hi! I’m not sure as I haven’t tried reducing the sugar. Perhaps you could try reducing it by 1/4 cup! Muffins/cupcakes should work, too.
LOVED THIS!!! The frosting was the best chocolate frosting I have ever had! I never thought of adding coffee to frosting but it was amazing!!
So happy to hear that!!