Jack-o'-Lantern Pumpkin and Chocolate Sponge Cake with Cream 🎃
Large 4-layer sponge cake with pumpkin, chocolate, and walnuts, filled with French-style pastry cream, apricot jam and rich buttercream.
Ingredients
SPONGE CAKE BASE
- 225 g plain white flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 175 g granulated or caster white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 150 ml oil
- 150 ml plain set or Greek yoghurt
CAKE FLAVOURS
pumpkin cake:
- 1 small pumpkin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- a few drops orange food colouring
chocolate cake:
- a few bars good quality cooking chocolate
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp chocolate extract
- a few drops black food colouring
cocoa and walnut cake:
- 3-4 tbsp cocoa powder good quality, unsweetened
- 4-5 tbsp ground walnuts
- a few drops black food colouring
FILLING
green cream:
- 4 egg yolks
- 5 tbsp plain white flour
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract
- 2 tbsp rum
- ¾ cup caster or granulated white sugar
- 2 cups milk
- a few drops green food colouring
- a pinch salt
buttercream:
- 150 g icing sugar
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 100 ml double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
OTHER
- 4-5 tbsp milk
- 3-4 tbsp apricot jam
Icing - 1st layer
- 150 g icing sugar
- 100 g butter
- Orange food colouring optional
Icing - 2nd layer
- 250 g icing sugar
- 175 g butter
- a few drops Orange food colouring
Icing - 3rd layer
- Same as Icing Layer 2 but you can also buy plain ready-made icing cream and add orange food colouring.
Decoration
- fondant of your choice
Instructions
Note:
If you’ve jumped straight to the recipe card, please take a moment to go back and read through the entire recipe post. It contains valuable details, tips, and instructions that will help you achieve the best results with your cake! :-)
- Roasting the Pumpkin: Score the top of the pumpkin with three or four deep cuts to prevent bursting. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray (no oil needed) and roast at 200°C for 25-30 minutes until it darkens slightly.
- Once cooled, cut into wedges, peel off the skin, and scoop out the seeds. Mash the roasted pumpkin with a fork or blend it to a smooth purée, depending on your sponge cake texture preference. Store in the fridge for later use.
- Make the Sponge Cake Base: Whisk eggs, vanilla sugar and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add yoghurt and oil, mixing briefly. Sift in flour and baking powder, folding gently to avoid overmixing. The batter should be smooth and thick.
- Divide the Batter: Split it into two equal portions; and then one of those portions into two again, one is for the pumpkin and the other for the chocolate sponge cake layer, and keep the rest of the batter (2/4) for the walnut sponge cake layer.
- Pumpkin sponge cake: In the first batter portion, add mashed pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix gently. For orange colour, mix yellow and red food colouring until the desired orange shade is achieved, then add it to the pumpkin batter mixture.Pour the pumpkin batter into a 9-inch cake tin and bake at 170°C for 20-25 minutes. Avoid opening the oven for the first 15 minutes to allow the sponge to rise evenly. Check doneness with a wooden stick; it should come out clean.
- Chocolate sponge cake: Microwave pieces of chocolate bar for a few seconds. Add melted chocolate, chocolate extract, and black food colouring to the second batter portion. Mix well and pour into a cake tin. Bake at 170°C for 25-30 minutes. If the top of the cake cracks open during baking, once done, turn it upside down on a plate to flatten it.
- Cocoa and Walnut Sponge Cake: Use the remaining batter for two layers. Add cocoa powder, rum, and finely ground walnuts. Bake at 170°C for 35-40 minutes. Check for doneness as before.Once cooled, make a shallow cut around the edge. Use a piece of thread to slice the cake evenly into two layers.
FILLING
- Green Cream: Combine flour with half a cup of milk until smooth. Heat the remaining milk, adding a pinch of salt, sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture, stirring continuously until thickened.Remove from heat, whisk in beaten egg yolks, and add green food colouring. Set aside to cool.
- Buttercream: Using an electric mixer, combine cold butter, icing sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add the double cream while continuing to mix until you reach a smooth consistency.
- Assembling the Cake: Place the first cocoa and walnut sponge layer on a plate. Spread green cream evenly (about 1cm thick). Let it cool if warm.Gently add the pumpkin sponge layer on top, spreading the rest of the green cream over it. Now add the second cocoa and walnut sponge layer. Drizzle with warm milk and spread a thin layer of apricot jam. Follow with buttercream. Finish off with the chocolate layer as the last one.Tip: If the jam is too thick, add a splash of hot water to loosen it.
- Icing for the Jack-o’-Lantern Shape: Prepare the icing; you can add orange food colouring if desired, but it is not essential for the first layer. Cover the cake with icing, not worrying about perfection, and refrigerate to set (for about 30 min minimum).After 30 minutes, apply a thicker layer of icing, adding more where needed to maintain the pumpkin shape. Refrigerate again.Prepare another batch of icing, adding bright orange this time. Spread it slowly and patiently for a perfectly smooth finish.
- Decorate with fondant to create green leaves, a stem, eyes, nose, and mouth. Feel free to add your own creative touch!
Notes
The total calorie count for this cake is approximately 5050 calories, but this may vary depending on the specific products used. The cake serves 12 large slices, with each slice containing about 495 calories.Â