Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

I am in holiday mode now. I can't wait for Thanksgiving to be here, and do more crafting for Christmas, and wrap presents and make home made goodies, and dig out all my Christmas CD's (I'll wait till after Thanksgiving. I promise) and cook and bake and bake and bake.

My idea of a holiday during the last few months of the year is just staying home, all cozied up in my house, decorating and cooking and baking for my family and friends. There is nothing more comforting to me than sitting on the couch, all wrapped up in a warm blanket with one of boys, and just snuggling up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate and a home made goodie. My snuggles with Jesse are slowly coming to an end. Now that he's a teenager, he has less and less time to snuggle with Mom. I do get he occasional hug, but I'm relying on Evan for most of my major snuggles now. I don't know what I will do when Evan's snuggling stage passes. I shall be sad.

Holiday preparation always means testing recipes. I wanted to make something for Thanksgiving dessert that wasn't overly pumpkiny. I have the Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares to take care of the pumpkin addicts, but I wanted to find something that would appeal to the kids too.

I think the combination of chocolate and pumpkin go together quite nicely, so when I saw this recipe for a two-tone chocolate chip pumpkin cake, I was hoping it was a winner. The smell wafting out of my oven was amazing. It brought Jess, Evan and Sara who was over, down from their bedroom to investigate. Knowing that Evan isn't a pumpkin fan I simply told them it was a chocolate chip cake. Once it was cooled they all happily scarfed down big pieces.

"Did you like that Evan?"

"Yeah" he said

"That was pumpkin chocolate chip cake" I told him

"No way"

"Yes way"

"Well I guess I like some pumpkin......if it has chocolate chips in it"

It's amazing what chocolate chips can do.

I omitted the nuts in this recipe cause I knew my little fuss buckets would just pick them out if I added them in.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake - Taste of Home Online
Printable recipe
¾ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (15 ounces solid pack pumpkin)
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled ¾ cup finely chopped pecans, divided (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; add to the creamed mixture. Divide batter in half. Stir in melted chocolate into one portion.

In a well-greased 10 inch fluted tube pan, sprinkle ½ cup pecans. Spoon chocolate batter over pecans, top with pumpkin batter. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake at 325 for 65 – 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.