What does black cocoa taste like?

Black cocoa is heavily alkalized, which strips out most of the acidity and bitterness you'd associate with a cocoa that dark. The flavor is smooth and earthy, closest to the cookie half of an Oreo. It's less sharply chocolatey than Dutch process cocoa, which is why the espresso powder is here to back it up.

Can I use Dutch process cocoa instead of black cocoa?

Yes, in the same amount. You'll get more of a dark brown batter instead of a black one, so the contrast against the pumpkin is softer but still clearly marbled. If you want the dramatic black, go for black cocoa! It's so fun in fall bakes.

Why did my marble turn muddy?

Almost always over-swirling. Each pass of the knife blends more of the two batters, so one continuous pass is the limit. The other culprit is batters of very different thicknesses — if one is much looser, it sinks through the other instead of sitting beside it.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

No. Pumpkin pie filling contains other ingredients and would throw off this recipe. Look for a can labeled pure pumpkin.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Yes. The cake keeps for 2 to 3 days and freezes for up to 3 months. If you're making it ahead, hold off on the glaze until serving.

Marbled Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Black Cocoa

Description

This marbled pumpkin Bundt cake has a black cocoa swirl and no food dye. No mixer needed, and the inside makes for a stunning slice of cake!

Ingredients

Scale

Bundt Cake

1 teaspoon espresso powder
⅔ cup (55 grams) black cocoa powder, sifted
⅔ cup (160 grams) very hot, nearly boiling water
⅓ cup (80 grams) buttermilk, room temperature
½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 ½ cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 ⅔ cups (340 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon OR pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup (230 grams) pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons water, room temperature
Optional: ¾ cup (120 grams) chocolate chips

Optional Glaze

¾ cup (90 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

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Instructions

Bundt Cake

Prep the pan and oven: Coat a 10-cup Bundt pan with baking release spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bloom the cocoa and cool it: In a medium bowl, whisk together very hot water, espresso powder, and sifted black cocoa powder until completely smooth. Set aside to cool while you proceed with the recipe instructions.
Mix the dry base and split it: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and fine salt. Set a second large bowl on a scale and divide the mixture evenly between the two bowls (about 325 grams or 1 ¾ cups each).
Mix the wet and split it: In a large measuring cup, whisk 3 eggs, neutral oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour half into each bowl of dry ingredients (about 175 grams or 1 ⅓ cups each). Do not mix yet.
Finish the pumpkin batter: To one bowl, add pumpkin puree. Whisk until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Add your two tablespoons of room temperature water to loosen the batter.
Finish the black batter: To the second bowl, add the cooled cocoa mixture, as well as your room temperature buttermilk and distilled white vinegar. Whisk until just combined. Gently fold in your chocolate chips if you're using them.
Layer and swirl: Spoon alternating dollops of each batter into the pan, staggering the colors as you build up layers.
Bake: Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Tent loosely with foil around 40 minutes if the top is darkening quickly. You'll know your cake is done when it's beginning to pull away from the pan's sides, and a skewer, toothpick, or cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool and turn out: Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before glazing or slicing.

Optional Glaze

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.
Drizzle glaze over completely cooled cake. I like to do two coats after the first has set within a few minutes.

Notes

The nutrition information is an estimate calculated from ingredient data. Actual values vary with brands, measuring, and slice size. Note that this estimate does not include the optional glaze or chocolate chips.
I have successfully tested this recipe in both a 10-cup and 12-cup Bundt pan. Due to the dimensions of my two pans, this recipe bakes up in a similar length of time. I suggest checking around the 45-minute mark to see if your cake is done baking.
For a clean release of your cake from your pan after baking, use a silicon brush to spread your baking release spray into all the nooks and crannies of your Bundt pan.
The two batters here come from one shared dry base and one shared wet mixture, each split evenly by weight. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for simplicity and accuracy.
To better see the contrasting swirl of the pumpkin and black batters once baked, I add my chocolate chips (if using) to the dark batter. This keeps the dark and light colors more separate, but you can also sprinkle the chips directly into the Bundt pan as you're adding your batters to it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Category: Dessert

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 390
Sugar: 30 g
Sodium: 320 mg
Fat: 19 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 53 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 6 g
Cholesterol: 47 mg