Moist Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting

Ok, I am fully aware that it has been over a month since I have posted a darn thing on here...but wait!...I do have a valid excuse!   Our family just got back from DisneyLand in California and have been sick ever since.  A great vacation, but so glad to be back on my island!

I made this cake before we left, but ran out of time to post it

.........so here we go.    

I love chocolate anything, and I have found the chocolate cake base that I use for all the chocolate cakes that I make.  It is the same chocolate cake base as my Ding Dong Cake

 My husband loves pumpkin so I made a cream cheese frosting and added pumpkin spice to kick it up a notch.  You could also add a little pumpkin puree to the frosting if you have that on hand.

For the cake
2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 

1 cup of boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans, or grease and cut parchment paper to fit bottom of pans for easy removal.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  

Stir in boiling water.  Batter will be thin.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 22-28 minutes.  (every oven cooks so differently so keep a close eye the first time you make this one) Cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes then remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting

16 oz of cream cheese softened

1/2 cup of butter

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 cups of confectioners sugar

1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice. Or to taste

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the ingredients until smooth and fluffy.  Refrigerate until ready to frost cake.

Once the cake has completely cooled, start stacking and frosting until all three layers have been covered.   I topped mine with cookie crumbs.  You could also use chocolate sprinkles or cocoa powder.    Store cake in refrigerator.