Chocolate pumpkin magic cake is a three in one dessert that truly bakes in a mysterious way with three layers of creamy vanilla mousse, moist chocolate cake, and pumpkin pie.
15.25ouncebox of devil's food cake mixplus ingredients called for on back of the box
For the Pumpkin Pie Layer
15ouncesPumpkin Puree1 can
½cupevaporated milk
½cupheavy whipping cream
3eggs
1cupbrown sugar
2teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonnutmeg
¼teaspoonallspice
For the Vanilla Mousse Layer
3.4ouncesvanilla instant pudding mix1 box
1cupcold milk
8ouncesCool Whipthawed
Fall sprinklesfor garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line or grease a 9x13 casserole dish or cake pan.
Prepare the box of cake mix according to package instructions, then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. DO NOT BAKE YET. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the pumpkin layer until smooth.
Slowly pour the pumpkin mixture over top of the cake batter, making as even a layer as possible - do not spread or attempt to fix uneven pouring, it will work out in the baking process.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly when the cake pan is shifted, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool to room temperature as you prepare the mousse.
Place the instant vanilla pudding mix and cold milk in a large bowl.
Whisk until combined and starting to thicken. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until completely combined.
Spoon the vanilla mousse overtop of the cooled cake and spread with an offset spatula.
Garnish with fall-inspired sprinkles.
Notes
We used a standard-sized box of devil's food cake mix (15.25 ounces) to make this cake, plus the ingredients called for on the back of the box (oil, water, eggs). Using devil's food cake mix makes this recipe so much richer and even fluffier compared to a regular chocolate cake mix. The flavor really makes a difference! However, if needed, you can substitute with a different flavor cake mix and still get tasty results. For a yellow cake mix version, check out our pumpkin magic cake!
You will need one box (3.4 ounces) of instant vanilla pudding mix. I wouldn't recommend the cook-and-serve pudding for this recipe, it needs to be instant in order to work properly.
STORAGE - Store the cooled chocolate pumpkin magic cake covered with an air-tight lid or tightly wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
MAKE AHEAD - Prepare and bake the cake a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. I would hold off on adding any sprinkles until an hour or two before serving to prevent them from bleeding color on the vanilla mousse layer.
FREEZING - You can freeze chocolate pumpkin magic cake although the texture may change a bit once frozen and thawed. Wrap the fully cooled cake in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month.