Pumpkin lover, rejoice. This one’s for you. This cake tastes super pumpkin-y. Why? It’s made with my homemade fairytale pumpkin purée! Lest you think the name is just cutesy, let me clarify: I made this cake using the gorgeous fairytale pumpkin that decorated my home for months. You can of course substitute an equal amount of the canned stuff but if you’re looking for a recipe to showcase your homemade purée, you’ve come to the right place. Read about how to make homemade fairytale pumpkin purée (it’s easy, I promise!) here.

This dessert comes together very easily. The cake itself is just a few ingredients and only bakes for about 15 minutes. Be sure to leave your cream cheese on the counter to come to room temperature before you make the filling – no one wants a lumping filling!

I love that this cake doesn’t have traditional frosting. Instead it has a light and airy whipped cream cheese layer and a rich ganache topping. Yum! My dad doesn’t even like chocolate and he loved this cake, proving that it’ll please both your chocoholics and non-chocolate fans.

This would make a lovely Halloween or Thanksgiving dessert. It isn’t overly sweetly and the chocolate and pumpkin are nicely balanced. You can keep the cake “naked” or let the ganache spill over the sides. Your choice!

Fairytale Pumpkin Layer Cake
For the cake:
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup fairytale pumpkin purée
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp saltFor the filling:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature 
1/2 cup powdered sugarFor the ganache:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two 8″ cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with wax paper, grease and flour.
2. In a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thickened and pale yellow, about five minutes. Add pumpkin purée. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, then slowly add flour mixture to mixer, beating until just combined.
3. Spread batter in prepared cake pans and bake for about fifteen minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in the pans; remove, and cool completely.
4. When cake has completely cooled, whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. In another bowl, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar. Gently fold in whipped cream. Spread cream cheese filling on one layer of pumpkin cake. Place the second layer of cake on top of the cream cheese filling. Refrigerate cake while you make the ganache.
5. Chop chocolate and place in heat-prove bowl. Heat cream to nearly boiling on the stove or in the microwave, then pour over chocolate pieces. Let sit for five minutes, then whisk until ganache is smooth and glossy. Let stand for fifteen minutes before pour over the cake. You can leave it naked or let the ganache pour over the sides. Store cake in the fridge.

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Happy baking,

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