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5 from 2 votes

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cake

Moist and flavorful pumpkin cake layers filled with cream cheese frosting, gingersnap crumble and cinnamon chip ganache.
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time2 hrs 40 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cake
Author: Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup  (165 g) light brown sugar packed
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup (218 g) vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (6.3 g) vanilla
  • 2 cups (450 g) pumpkin purée 
  • 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) baking powder
  • 3 teaspoons (7.8 g) ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (3.9 g) ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon (2.64 g) nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon (5.6 g)salt

FOR THE CRUMBLE

  • 1/2 cup (45 g) quick cooking oats
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped gingersnap cookies about 2 cookies
  • 1/2 cup finely ground gingersnap cookies about 8 cookies
  • 3 tablespoons (65.6 g) molasses
  • 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar packed
  • 3 tablespoons (42.3 g) unsalted butter melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1.32 g) ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1.4 g) salt

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

  • 7 cups (875 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
  • 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup 3 sticks (339 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
  • 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) pure vanilla extract
  • *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

FOR THE GANACHE

  • 1 cup (150 g) cinnamon chips
  • 1/3 cup (77 g) heavy cream
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

  • Preheat 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Spray again and set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and eggs together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the oil and vanilla and beat on medium until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin filling and mix until combined, about another 30 seconds. 
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt, and with the mixer on the lowest speed, gradually add to the pumpkin/egg mixture.
  • Evenly distribute batter into the prepared pans, smooth with a small offset palette knife and place in the center of the middle rack of the oven, about 2 inches apart. Bake until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. (Mine took 23).
  • Let pans cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, and then invert cakes onto rack and cool them completely.

FOR THE CRUMBLE

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture resembles clumps of sand. 
  • Pour the mixture over the parchment paper and spread it out evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring the mixture about halfway through.
  • Let it cool completely and then crumble the mixture into smaller pieces. The mixture will still be soft when you take it out of the oven. It will harden as it cools.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

  • In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  • Gradually add in the sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat until very fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the vanilla and beat for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a wooden spoon and mix by hand to stir out the air bubbles.

FOR THE GANACHE

  • Place the cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Alternately, you can heat the cream over the stove.
  • Pour the warm cream over the cinnamon chips and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth and silky. Allow to cool, but not set, before using on your cake.

ASSEMBLY

  • After leveling each cake layer, place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board. Apply 1/2 cup of the frosting over the cake layer, followed by 1/4 of the crumble and a drizzle of the cinnamon chip drip.
  • Repeat these steps for the next two cake layers. Finish by placing the final cake layer, top side down, on top of the last layer of filling. 
  • Before frosting the entire cake, you will want to apply a thin coat of frosting around the cake and on top of the cake. This layer of frosting doesn't need to look pretty, it's simply functional. We want to lock in any crumbs. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes.
  • After the crumb coat is set, apply the rest of the frosting and drip.