Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake

The pumpkin and chocolate cake is a delicious dessert perfect for autumn, but enjoyable to savor at any time of the year. Here is the traditional recipe with an Italian touch.

Ingredients

• 300 g of already cleaned pumpkin
• 200 g of 00 flour
• 150 g of sugar
• 100 g of softened butter
• 100 g of dark chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Start by preheating the oven to 180 °C.
2. Cut the pumpkin into pieces and steam or bake it until soft, then blend it until you obtain a smooth puree.
3. Meanwhile, while the pumpkin cools, beat the eggs with the sugar until you obtain a frothy and light mixture.
4. Add the softened butter to the egg and sugar mixture and mix well.
5. Incorporate the pumpkin puree into the mixture and stir until you have obtained a uniform mixture.
6. Separately, sift the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the pinch of salt. Add them to the liquid mixture and mix until you obtain a smooth batter without lumps.
7. Chop the dark chocolate into pieces or, if you prefer, use chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter.
8. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured cake pan or lined with parchment paper and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool before removing it from the pan and serving it.

Trivia

The pumpkin is a very versatile ingredient used in many Italian sweet preparations, especially in the northern regions like Lombardy and Veneto, where delicious cakes and cookies are created. The combination with chocolate is not the most traditional, but it gives a rich and intense flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness and softness of the pumpkin.