This Devil’s Food Cake with Pumpkin Butterscotch Frosting features contrasting black and orange layers of extra-chocolatey devil’s food cake and pumpkin butterscotch frosting topped with chocolate buttercream and glimmering black sprinkles!
A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but glittering black sugar sprinkles and sparkling orange hard candies are a girl’s best friend…
That’s right, friends, it’s not all panna cotta skull graveyards and moldy tarts around here—we can do glamorous Halloween food, too! This elegant cake features contrasting black and orange layers of extra-chocolatey devil’s food cake and pumpkin-butterscotch frosting. Top it off with some chocolate buttercream, a coating of glimmering black sprinkles, and radiant orange candies, and you have a Halloween layer cake fit for a queen…or better yet, a Marilyn Monroe impersonator!
This cake has been haunting my brain for at least a month now. I bought the sparkling black sugar one day, and the next day found the glittering orange backdrop, and bam! The idea for the cake was dropped fully-formed into my head. You all know I have a tendency to go a little over-the-top, but sometimes the classiest and most elegant desserts are also the simplest. All this cake needed was a solid coating of sprinkles and a few jewel candies, and it was ready to go.
I made the jewels myself, using a hard candy mold and a quarter batch of the candy recipe from my Dia de los Muertos Skull Cake from last year. Homemade jewel candies are not a requirement and I think this cake would look equally awesome with orange gumballs or Sixlets or a variety of other orange hard candies.
Let’s talk chocolate…cake, that is. I wanted this cake to be the richest, deepest, darkest devil’s food imaginable. I wanted my taste-testers to beg for a glass of milk after finishing a slice. I wanted them to stick out their tongues and see only inky blackness when they were finished. Okay…that last part is kind of gross, but you get the idea.
To achieve all of these effects without food coloring or chemical shenanigans, I used black cocoa. If you’re not familiar with it, black cocoa is extra-alkalized cocoa powder. It has a very dark color (some might even call it black, fancy that) and a really, really deep chocolate taste. Here’s a handy comparison of some of the cocoas in my kitchen. From L-R: Hershey’s natural cocoa, Valrhona Dutch-processed (aka alkalized) cocoa, and Black Onyx cocoa.
Natural cocoa is the kind most often found in the cheap Hershey’s can. It has a really light color and a mild cocoa flavor. My preferred cocoa is Dutch-processed or alkalized cocoa, meaning that the cocoa has had its acidity reduced and is a deeper color and has a smoother, richer flavor. My favorite brands are Valrhona and Cacao Barry Extra Brute, and I’d say I use them in about 90% of my baking. And for special occasions, when I want to really let the chocolate flavor rip, I reach for the Black Onyx cocoa powder. It gives this cake a natural black color and a crazy intense chocolate flavor. I should note that I typically substitute up to half of the cocoa in a recipe with black cocoa—it can have a drying effect on baked goods, so I like to cut it with other cocoa powder, and use it in recipes with a generous amount of oil or other fat.
Don’t worry, though, there is nothing dry about this cake recipe! Even using half black cocoa and half “regular” alkalized cocoa, it still has a super dark color and super-intense chocolate taste. It comes together quickly in one mixing bowl, no melting of chocolate, alternating wets and drys, or creaming of butter and sugar required. Lazy baker high five!
I know it’s been a lot of yadda yadda about the chocolate cake so far, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to tell you how much I love this pumpkin-butterscotch frosting. It is definitely two great tastes that taste great together. The flavors of pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and butterscotch chips meld beautifully into a sweet, spiced frosting that is perfect when paired with dark chocolate. I also think that this would be great made with the seasonal Nestle Pumpkin Spice chips, if you happen to snatch those up in stores.
Au revoir, friends, go and have yourselves a sparkly, jewel-encrusted, chocolate-flavored, frosting-filled day!
🖤 More Fun Frosting Recipes🖤
- Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cookie Dough Frosting
- Rainbow Swirl Frosting (for cupcakes and cakes)
- Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
🖤 More Creative Halloween Cake Recipes🖤
- Spiderweb Naked Red Velvet Cake
- Patterned M&M’s Cake
- Festive Fall Layer Cake
- Chocolate Orange Cake
- Patterned Pumpkin Roll (with video!)
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Pumpkin Spice Hi-Hat Cupcakes
Stenciled Halloween Sprinkle Cake
Devil’s Food Cake with Pumpkin Butterscotch Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 12 oz all-purpose flour, (2 2/3 cup)
- 2.25 oz black cocoa powder, (3/4 cup)
- 2.25 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, (3/4 cup), Dutch-processed
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 24.5 oz granulated sugar, (3 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/4 cups brewed coffee , or water, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the Pumpkin Butterscotch Frosting:
- 9 oz butterscotch chips, (1 1/2 cups)
- 24 oz powdered sugar, (6 cups)
- 8 oz unsalted butter, (2 sticks), at room temperature
- 4.5 oz pumpkin puree, (1/2 cup), not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Chocolate Frosting:
- 8 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 24 oz powdered sugar, (6 cups)
- 8 oz unsalted butter, (2 sticks), at room temperature
- 6 tbsp milk, plus more if necessary
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
For Assembly:
- 6 oz black sparkling sugar
- Orange candy coating melts, for decoration, optional
Instructions
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line three 8×2-inch round baking pans with parchment paper, and spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, both cocoa powders, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a large stand mixer, combine the sugar, coffee or water, buttermilk, oil, eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Beat with a paddle attachment on low speed until well-mixed. Stop the mixer and add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until the flour is moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for about 4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the batter is smooth. It will be very thin.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. If you have a kitchen scale handy, each pan should get 24.5 oz of batter.
- Bake the cakes at 325 F for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool the cakes in the pans, then turn them out onto a wire rack. Once cool, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer until semi-firm—these cakes are much easier to work with when they’re partially frozen. The cakes can be made in advance and kept in the freezer for several weeks. When you are ready to assemble the cake, allow the rounds to partially defrost before assembly.
To Make the Pumpkin Butterscotch Frosting:
- Place the butterscotch chips in a microwave-safe bowl and melt them in 30-second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. The melted chips will be fairly thick, but you should be able to stir them easily.
- Place the remaining ingredients (sugar through salt) in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sugar is thoroughly moistened, then add the melted butterscotch chips. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- If the frosting seems too soft, press a layer of cling wrap on top and refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes, until stiff enough to spread and hold its shape. The frosting can be made several days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
To Make the Chocolate Frosting:
- Place the chopped unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in 30-second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Place the remaining ingredients (sugar through salt) in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sugar is thoroughly moistened, then raise the speed to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Turn the mixer speed back to low, and add the chocolate. Once the chocolate is mixed in, raise the speed back to medium and beat for one minute more. Use immediately, or place in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed on top. The frosting can be made several days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
To Assemble:
- Place a partially frozen cake round on an 8-inch cake cardboard, and put it on a cake turntable. Spread half of the pumpkin-butterscotch frosting on top of the cake, smoothing it all the way out to the sides, and top it with a second cake round. Spread the remaining pumpkin frosting on top, smooth it into an even layer, and top it with a third cake round. Spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting over the sides and top of the cake, and refrigerate for 30 minutes until the frosting is firm.
- Spread the remaining chocolate frosting over the top and sides of the cake in a thick layer. Try to get it fairly smooth and even, but it doesn’t have to be perfect—after all, it will soon be covered in sprinkles!
- Pour the black sparkling sugar into a pie tin or shallow bowl. Hold the cake in one hand over the bowl of sprinkles, and use your other hand to grab handfuls of sprinkles and press them against the sides and top of the cake, letting the excess drop back into the bowl. Repeat until the cake is entirely covered in sprinkles. Finally, add any decorative candies you want, using a bit of chocolate frosting to stick them to the outside of the cake. For the best taste and texture, serve this cake at room temperature.
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
This cake is beautiful! Can I ask why you mix the batter for 4 minutes? Should I be concerned about over mixing?
I usually use high altitude adjustments when baking. I know that Dutch and black onyx work differently with leveners though. Any suggestions on adjusting for HA with Dutch and black onyx cocoas?
Thank you!
Hi Erin, You’re right, traditional cake recipes typically call for minimal mixing to reduce gluten formation. However, this recipe isn’t the same as most others that start with creaming butter and sugar together. Because it has a non-traditional mixing order (and uses oil instead of butter) it is mixed for several minutes at the end to aerate the batter and develop a bit of gluten to give the cake structure. You don’t want to beat it for FORTY minutes or anything, but four minutes won’t hurt it at all.
I’m afraid I don’t have much experience making high altitude adjustments and can’t guide you on what changes you might need to make in that area. Apologies!
OMG!!! This cake looks amazing!!! Can’t wait to make!
Thank you Ashlyn!! Let me know how it works out for you!
The pumpkin and chocolate frosting recipes look like big batches. Do you actually use up most of the frosting when making this cake?
Hi Andrea, it’s been a few years since I’ve made this cake so I can’t say for certain. My guess is yes, all of the the pumpkin buttercream is used, but it’s possible that some of the chocolate might have been left over. I always try to write recipes that aren’t wasteful and that come out “even,” if that makes sense, but you’re right that the chocolate does look like a lot of frosting.
This Devil’s Food Cake with Pumpkin Butterscotch Frosting is perfect for parties! So moist and delicious! Thanks for this amazing recipe <3
Hi. Beautiful cakes! If all I have is instant or soluble coffee; how many teaspoons for the water mentioned would you think work? Thanks!
Hey Kay, thank you so much! I am so glad you like it. As for the amount of coffee, I would suggest making the amount the brand you have calls for in relation to the 1 and 1/4 cup of coffee you will make. I hope that makes sense, I am guessing it could be different depending on brands. If you just make an average strength amount of coffee it will be great! I am excited for you to make this cake, I would love to hear how it goes!
Hi Elizabeth! This is a beautiful cake. If I wanted to bake the cake layers in 3 6-inch pans, would the quantities of the ingredients stay the same?
Cake falls apart worst cake I have ever made
Hi Tracy, I’m sorry the cake recipe gave you trouble. Devil’s food cake is typically a very moist, somewhat soft cake – so it should not be crumbling or falling apart. Did you follow the recipe and use the recommended ingredients? Did you weigh them or use volume measurements? How long did you bake them for? All of these things can impact the final texture and structural integrity of the cake, and without knowing any details of what you did or what happened, it’s hard to provide further troubleshooting. Please feel free to send us an email with details so we can advise you more specifically.
The chocolate frosting seized up on me once I added the chocolate. What did I do wrong? Everything else tasted great but the chocolate frosting was inedible.
Hi Penny, I’m sorry to hear that! The procedure for the pumpkin butterscotch and chocolate frosting is the same, and you should end up with about the same result. Since the pumpkin worked well for you, I’m guessing it might have been an issue with the temperature of the melted chocolate in relation to the rest of the frosting. Ideally you want the cooled chocolate and the rest of the frosting to be about the same temp before you combine them. Maybe using milk instead of pumpkin puree took down the temperature of the frosting and it was much cooler than the melted chocolate? If this was the case, then adding the chocolate to the cool frosting would cause it to cool too quickly and create chunks of chocolate. Does this sound similar to what happened? If not, I’m happy to help you troubleshoot further if you could provide more details.
This is the 3rd cake recipe I have tried from you. You are a true artist and everything you present is gorgeous. Mine, on the other hand looks like something from “Nailed It”. They always taste good but I think I’ll stick with your brownie and cookie recipes because I have better luck making them look like they are supposed to. Everyone loved this cake, but I have to eat it very slowly in a smaller than normal slice. It is incredibly rich.
Hi Dawn. Thank you for your kind words. We love the creative aspect of baking. I’m sorry that you’re not as pleased with your baking projects as you’d like to be. I promise it just takes time. Don’t give up! Thank you so much for your comment and recipe review. We really appreciate it. All the best to you!