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Home » Recipes » Dessert » Cake

October 6, 2021

Spiced Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

Published October 6, 2021 | Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Jump to Recipe

This beautiful pumpkin and chocolate cake boasts gorgeous flavours of autumn and will be the most memorable finish to your Thanksgiving dinner.

This cake makes a great addition to any Thanksgiving celebration. Find all the recipe ideas you need in our Thanksgiving Recipe Collection!

Side view of the pumpkin and chocolate cake against a dark background

I’m a huge fan of finishing any holiday meal with a bang. The appearance of a big show-stopping dessert is when a meal goes from a bit of fun to a real celebration!

The inspiration for this cake came when I was getting ready for a Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. I wanted to make something a bit more spectacular than we would normally have.

Slice of the cake showing the layers

I knew where I needed to start because my family would revolt if dessert did not have spiced pumpkin somewhere. But I also wanted chocolate because moist, dark chocolate cake is the sort of decadent dessert I can really get excited about!

It may not be not be obvious, but pumpkin and chocolate make a fantastic combination, like with this Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Swirl! The combination of silky chocolate and spiced pumpkin with make you swoon, especially when layered with luxurious mascarpone frosting!

View of the cake from above

Pumpkin and chocolate cake

I made this cake for a special occasion, which is why it has a bit more happening than with some cakes. To make this celebratory cake I combined two of my favourite cake recipes and invented a new favourite frosting.

It has two layers of Chocolate Stout Cake and two layers of Spiced Pumpkin Cake. I brushed each layer with a combination of Demerara sugar and the beautiful flavour of Sloe Gin syrup.

Two process shots showing layers and then with first icing coat

The frosting makes me really happy! It is light and fluffy mascarpone frosting with maple and cinnamon. A dream!

If you are like me and are wondering whether spiced pumpkin and chocolate go together you have to make this cake. Make it, make it, make it! This cake boasts all the gorgeous flavours of autumn and will be the most beautiful finish to your Thanksgiving dinner.

Top down view of pumpkin and chocolate cake with a piece removed to a separate plate

Recipe notes

  • To make sure your cake is beautifully frosted always start with a crumb coat. Cover your cake with a thin layer of frosting to seal all crumbs and put it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to chill. Then finish it off with more frosting and whatever design you choose.
  • Some brands of mascarpone (especially mascarpone available in America) may separate when made into this frosting. To prevent this from happening, combine both mascarpone and cream when well chilled and do not over beat. If the problem persists, try whipping the heavy cream first, then folding it into the mascarpone. 
Angled view of the cake with slice removed

More cake recipes

  • Black Forest Cake
  • Christmas Chocolate Cake
  • Black and White Chocolate Cake
  • Naked Cake with Mascarpone Cream and Crushed Strawberries
Angled view of the cake with slice removed

Spiced Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake with Maple Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting

Julia Frey of Vikalinka
This spiced pumpkin and chocolate cake might just what your holiday table needs!
4.74 from 15 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Chilling time 30 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 813 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Chocolate Stout Cake layers

  • ⅓ cups / 80 ml Guinness or other stout
  • 2 tbsp strong black coffee
  • ½ cup / 115 g unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cups / 45 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup / 130 g all purpose flour
  • 1 cup / 130 g sugar
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup / 120 ml creme fraiche/sour cream

For the Spiced Pumpkin Cake layers

  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp / 130 g flour
  • ⅔ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp mixed pumpkin spice (nutmeg, cloves, ginger)
  • ⅔ cup / 160 ml vegetable oil
  • ⅔ cup / 135 g granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 7 oz / 200 g pumpkin purée

For the syrup

  • ¼ cup / 60 ml simple syrup sugar and water in equal parts
  • 2 tbsp sloe gin or damson gin not regular gin

For the Maple Cinnamon Frosting

  • 2 cups / 500 g Italian mascarpone
  • 1 cup / 130 g icing sugar
  • 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup / 120 ml whipping cream or double cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.
  • Grease 2-8″ round cake pans and line the bottoms with greased parchment paper. Set aside.

Chocolate layers

  • In a saucepan heat stout, coffee and butter together until the mixture comes to a gentle simmer, add cocoa powder while whisking continuously to avoid lumps until smooth. Set aside to cool.
  • Blend flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a different bowl. Mix eggs, vanilla and creme fraiche with an electric mixer in bowl no 3.
  • Now check on your chocolate mixture and make sure it’s cool enough to continue the process.
  • Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and creme fraiche mixture and blend them together.
  • Add flour mixture a little bit a time and beat on low speed until combined. Pour into the pan and level.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 min. Always test your cakes for doneness with a toothpick or a cake taster. Cool on a wire rack.

Spiced Pumpkin layers

  • Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Then add oil, sugar and eggs, beat well to combine.
  • Add pumpkin and mix for 2-3 minutes until well incorporated.
  • Pour into the cake pan and level. Bake at 325 F/160C for 25-30 min, cool on a wire rack.

Sugar syrup for drizzling

  • Mix sugar syrup with sloe gin or any other liqueur of your choice.

Maple Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting

  • Whip cold mascarpone until light, which will take no longer than 30 seconds, add pure maple syrup and icing sugar, beat until well incorporated for 30 seconds longer.
  • Add cinnamon, vanilla and whipping cream. Whip for 2 minutes until stiff.

Assemble the cake

  • When the cakes are cooled, split each layer in half. Brush each layer with some sugar syrup.
  • Divide Maple Cinnamon Frosting into 4 parts.
  • Stack the layers on top of each other so chocolate and pumpkin layers interchange. Fill the layers with ¾ of Maple Cinnamon frosting.
  • Then cover the entire cake with your crumb coat using the frosting from the part you'd set aside. Chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
  • Then cover the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate with flowers if desired or leave it plain. Alternatively, you can lightly dust the cake with a touch of cinnamon.

Nutrition

Calories: 813kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 9gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 35gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 409mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 2gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 4321IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chocolate pumpkin cake, pumpkin cake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Cake

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72418 shares
  • 8

About Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
read more..

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kimberly L says

    at

    Fell in love with this recipe at first sight, and had it open for weeks, fully intending to make for Thanksgiving, and that’s what I did! The only change made was to make a cognac simple syrup for the tops. I was worried there might not be enough frosting but there was, although next time (and there will be) I might make a bit more. One taster said it was the best frosting they’ve ever tasted. One other thing I did in advance was make the cakes and freeze them for a few days, and just frosted the day of Thanksgiving. Thank you, and this is so worth the effort!

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

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      What a lovely review! Thank you so much, Kimberly!

      Reply
  2. Carie Steffen says

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    I’m not seeing when to drizzle the cake in the recipe. I must be blind! Help!

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

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      Hi Carie, do you mean the sugar syrup? It’s mentioned in the first step of the section Assemble the Cake.

      Reply
  3. Vanessa says

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    Hi, I was wondering if the coffee in the chocolate cake is ground coffee or liquid coffee?

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

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      Hi Vanessa, it’s brewed coffee.

      Reply
      • Vanessa says

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        Thank you so much!

        Reply
  4. Oriana says

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    5 stars
    This is hands down the most delicious cake!! I made for thanksgiving and planning for Christmas as it was such a hit with the family. I whipped the whipped cream and the mascarpone separately and then combined them with great success. I will remake this recipe again and again!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thanks so much for your review, Oriana! I think with the lower fat content heavy cream that is the best way to avoid separation! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Carmen says

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    5 stars
    Making this for the third time tonight. Never fails me.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Yay, Carmen!! I did so much baking this week too!

      Reply
  6. Sophia says

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    5 stars
    I just made this gorgeous cake today for Thanksgiving. It turned out absolutely delicious. So much flavor, and not too sweet. We live in Southern California, so I decided to keep the Mascarpone & heavy cream cold as suggested, and had no issues whatsoever. It even sat out on the dessert table for a few hours, and still saw no separation or weeping.
    Definitely keeping this one for special occasions (and for when I just really want a superb cake!) The only change I made was to use Frangelico instead of Sloe Gin, and oh – my – goodness… So. Good.
    Thank you for sharing it with us!!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thank you so much, Sophia! I am thrilled to hear you had such stunning results with this recipe. And I love that you used Frangelico here! Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Linda says

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    What is icing sugar? Same as confectioner sugar?

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Icing sugar is a British term for powdered sugar, Linda.

      Reply
  8. Gabrielle says

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    hello ! writing from the US and going to make this for thanksgiving – do you think it would be ok to freeze the cake layers beforehand ? Thanks !

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Hi Gabrielle, yes you can freeze them wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap.

      Reply
  9. June says

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    4 stars
    Lovely cake. And oh that frosting…one of my favorites.
    I live in Canada and had the same issue when. I tried using double cream instead of regular whipping cream in my mascarpone frosting. Next time I will whip slower so I don’t make butter.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      So glad you enjoyed this cake, June. I can’t wait for the pumpkin season to make it again! I didn’t know you could buy double cream in Canada. It works absolutely fine for this recipe in the UK.:-)

      Reply
  10. Hayley says

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    5 stars
    Hi I’m in the UK and would love to make this! Just wondering what flour you use in the UK, since there’s no “all purpose” here? Plain? Self Raising? Also, is it possible to increase this to a 9″ cake? I figured I could use your original chocolate cake recipe since it’s slightly larger, but wasn’t sure for the pumpkin. Thanks!

    Oh one more question! Do you use weights for the ingredients? If so, could you include them?

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Hi Haley, excellent questions. The flour I use in the UK is Canadian bread flour from Sainsbury’s. That’s what I am used to and I prefer to be able to control the raising agent myself over using self raising flour. If I ever use self raising flour in my recipes, I always indicate it. 🙂 You can definitely bake this cake in a 9″ pan. Lastly, I do include weights in my recipes now after living in the UK for almost 8 years but unfortunately this cake is one of the earlier ones, so I didn’t.

      Reply
  11. Hayley says

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    5 stars
    Hi I’m in the UK and would love to make this! Just wondering what flour you use in the UK, since there’s no “all purpose” here? Plain? Self Raising? Also, is it possible to increase this to a 9″ cake? I figured I could use your original chocolate cake recipe since it’s slightly larger, but wasn’t sure for the pumpkin. Thanks!

    Reply
  12. Stephanie Thurtle says

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    I am planning on making this cake for our late September wedding in California. Can you please give me a suggestions for increasing the recipe to accommodate 14″ rounds? I’m guessing doubling or tripling the recipe and lowering the oven temp a bit and extending the baking time. I’m planning on doing a test run in August to make sure I don’t mess it up! Also, since neither my fiancee or I care for a lot of frosting, we’re going to do a thin crumb coat only. Thank you!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Hi Stephanie, I am so excited you are making this cake for your wedding! It’s really hard to tell how to modify the recipe as it’s a technical question and I don’t have any experience in many cakes of that size. I would triple the recipe, keep the temperature and baking time the same since they will still be the same thickness but large in diameter. I would however, watch them carefully and if they are not fully baked I would keep increasing the time by 5-7 minutes each time and keep checking. Sorry I can’t be of any more help. Best of luck, Julia

      Reply
  13. KT says

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    I just made this for Thanksgiving here in the US and it turned out beautifully. I had read the comments about the frosting so I did seek out a more expensive marscapone at a specialty cheese store to ensure it didn’t separate. No issues at all. Beautiful cake — was a huge hit.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thank you so much for sharing that and Happy Thanksgiving!! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Linda says

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    Hi .. sorry if this question has already been covered by others.
    The pumpkin purée is it fresh or tinned? If fresh is it pre cooked and cooled?
    Many thanks .. going to give the recipe a try this weekend.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Hi Linda, pumpkin puree is cooked. I made my own by roasting pumpkin and then blending it in a food processor. You can also used tinned but it’s not very easy to find in the UK. I think Ocado and Waitrose carry them occasionally. Good luck with the cake!

      Reply
  15. Janis says

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    Thank you for this recipe. The presentation looks grand and with these ingredients it is sure-fire pleaser! Regarding marscapone, usually it is overbeating or treating the cheese like a heavy cream, which it is not, that causes the curdling. For people finding it difficult to achieve smooth consistency, try hand whisking marscapone instead of beating with an electric mixer. Then, combine the whipped cream with the marscapone by gently folding. I have used marscapone as a base for light airy frosting multiple times without a problem. It was how I was taught to get that smooth finish. This technique may help others.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thanks for your tip, Janis!

      Reply
  16. Deb @ Cooking on the Front Burner says

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    Hi, I just made this cake for a party we went to – it was fantastic – the only thing I did different was making a cream cheese maple frosting since I was sure about the consistency as mentioned above. I loved the texture of the cake – I made it one day, refrigerated and served the next – it melded perfectly! I’m sure I will make it again!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thanks for the excellent feedback, Deb, so pleased you loved the cake!

      Reply
  17. Deb says

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    5 stars
    I made this for Thanksgiving and it turned out spectacularly. All my guests raved. I’m in the US and the frosting was perfect. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thank you so much for letting me know, Deb!!! I am so pleased to hear that the recipe does work in the US. 🙂

      Reply
  18. Carmen says

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    5 stars
    I absolutely love this recipe. Both times I’ve made it I’ve had questions about where I bought the cake it is that good.
    I’ve made this icing a number of times and it’s turned into my go-to for cakes as it’s so much lighter than a buttercream and isn’t overpoweringly sweet. I’m in the U.K and have never had any of the issues mentioned in some of the comments so don’t let them keep you from experiencing the amazingnes that this cake is. I would just encourage you to try and find the best ingredients that you can if you’re in the U.S, I’ll have to give the icing a shot when I’m in Canada over the holidays and see if I notice a difference in how it turns out.
    Thanks for another amazing recipe!

    Reply
  19. Taylor says

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    My cakes are cool, and I’m ready to make the frosting…but it doesn’t say which attachment to use for the mixer. Whisk or paddle? I’m assuming paddle, but don’t want to have to go buy more mascarpone…This may be part of the reason why some people had theirs break(curdle). Which should I use?

    Reply
    • Taylor says

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      2 stars
      So, I couldn’t wait for your reply, and I did everything exactly as directed by your instructions. Everything was very cold, straight out of the fridge, and it started to separate about 1 min after adding the cream. I almost whipped it separately first, not sure why you don’t do that. Mind you, I’m a very experienced baker, and I have my own confections company(28,000 caramels last year alone) and I know what I’m doing. Pretty bummed I won’t have dessert for tomorrow. Next time I will go with my gut, and fold the whipped cream in to the frosting. Thanks.

      Reply
      • vikalinka says

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        Hi Taylor, I am located in England with a 5-8 hours time difference depending on your time zone, so I was probably sleeping when your comment came. As I have commented before I use Italian mascarpone that does not separate, in fact I have NEVER seen mascarpone separate and I buy and use it regularly in sweet and savoury dishes. I am not sure if American process of making it is different or perhaps it’s the additives to cream that are the culprit. Dozens of my readers have used this frosting recipe with the same result. This recipe was published in the biggest dessert magazine in Germany Sweet Dreams, it was tested by professional bakers with stellar results. I always use a whisk attachement for whipping frosting. That being said you should definitely “go with your gut”.

        Reply
  20. Lydia says

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    5 stars
    This was honestly the best cake I have ever made. That chocolate cake is the best I’ve ever had on it’s own, and combined with the pumpkin cake it all was just divine. I multiplied the recipe by 1.25 to accommodate 9 in pans because that’s all I had and it worked perfectly. Multiplied the frosting by 1.5 though and glad I did. I am in the US and didn’t have a problem with the frosting. Both cream and mascarpone were chilled, and I only whipped it together for a few minutes. Absolutely delicious and definitely the cake to make if you want it to be awe-inspiring

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thank you so much for reporting back, Lydia! I am so pleased to hear you’ve had success with the frosting being the US! Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

      Reply
  21. rachel heim says

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    Can’t wait to try this for Thanksgiving! Instead of gin, I was considering using a bourbon sugar syrup. How do you think this would taste?

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      I think it would taste great as long as you like the taste of bourbon, Rachel. 🙂

      Reply
  22. Janis L Stewart says

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    5 stars
    A friend of mine sent me this recipe and we decided to try it out on our monthly baking day. I wasn’t sure if I would care for pumpkin and chocolate and was somewhat concerned about the frosting after reading some of the reviews. However, I am so glad we gave this recipe a try. Both cakes are moist. I love the flavor of the chocolate cake and the spice cake has a very smooth flavor and is not overpowered by the spices. I am in the US and made the recipe for the frosting just as called for and it turned out perfectly. I followed some of the suggestions in the comments and made sure my whipping cream and marscarpone were both chilled. I would make 50% more frosting next time so I could have better coverage on the cake, but I loved it and will most definitely make it again.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      So pleased to read your feedback, Janis. The frosting in this recipe is something I make all the time, so I was confident it would work when I posted it and was really surprised by some of the comments. I supposed the difference in the products could be accounted for the difference in results. I am happy to hear yours turned out well. Thank you for letting me know!!

      Reply
      • Jen says

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        I made sure that my cheese and cream was well chilled and it curdled 🙁

        Reply
      • Cheyenne says

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        5 stars
        I am pleased to say that the Cake Came Out Perfect! I am a pastry cook and had no problems with the frosting recipe! I used my own chocolate cake recipe, but it came out beautiful! Thank You!

        Reply
        • vikalinka says

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          So great to hear, Cheyenne! I love that cake so much and it is so easy to make!

          Reply
  23. Olga says

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    Is there anything else I can use instead of sloe gin? I don’t want to buy a bottle for just 2 tbsp ?

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      I completely understand, Olga! I wouldn’t either. Sloes are tiny wild plums(or at least they come from a plum family) that grow all over England, they look like big blueberries. Sloe gin is sweet and tastes a bit like plum liqueur (nalivka in Russian :-), so any syrup or liqueur that has a similar taste would be a fair substitute. You can also use vanilla syrup in a pinch.

      Reply
      • Olga says

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        Sounds good! Would this recipe work to make a 9in cake? Or should I increase the ingredients?

        Reply
        • vikalinka says

          at

          I would do it as a two layer cake if using 9″ pans, otherwise you will run out of icing because cakes are bigger in diameter. They layers will also be thinner.

          Reply
          • Olga says

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            Im making the cake right now and I’m going with vanilla syrup. By a pinch of it you mean just to add a little of the vanilla syrup to the cake syrup? Just want to make sure I understood right ?

  24. angelique says

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    also is this considered alcoholic or does the alcohol get cooked out?

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      I wouldn’t think 2 tbsp of alcohol diluted by simple syrup and sprinkled over the cake this size makes it alcoholic. Many things contain alcohol like, vanilla extract or mouth wash, but they are not meant to be consumed in huge amounts and that’s what makes it safe. It doesn’t get cooked out but the small amount makes it insignificant. Alternatively, it could be easily omitted if you prefer.

      Reply
  25. angelique says

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    is there a version with out the coffee?

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Coffee deepens the chocolate flavour and you absolutely can’t taste it but feel free to skip it if you prefer.

      Reply
  26. olga says

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    I,m sorry in a chocolate layer it says 1/2 cup – 454g butter?

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Olga, 1/2 cup is correct but should have been 115 gr. I quartered the original recipe but the weight of butter in grams never got changed. Good catch! Thank you for pointing it out!

      Reply
  27. Rookie With A Cookie says

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    Yum! This looks so good and i can tell the flavors are spot on! Definitely going to make a variation of this on my channel. Have you make a pumpkin with the creaming method as well?

    Reply
  28. Gemma says

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    5 stars
    Happy blogiversary!!!
    That is one of the most beautiful cakes I’ve ever seen, what a beautiful contrast of colors!
    My blog turned 4 last monday and I also made a pumkin cake, not as gorgeous as yours though. :-p
    Cheers from Barcelona!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thank you for stopping by and your sweet comment, Gemma! And Happy blogoversary to you as well!! You cake looks beautiful! 🙂

      Reply
  29. lena says

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    i just finished making this cake and i too had the same problem with the cream..it curdled i think it was from over beating the mascarpone because i noticed it curdling before i added the heavy cream. so i ended dumping everything cuz it was too runny and then re made it with cream cheese which worked much better and it turned out looking like yours. i did soften my cream cheese too and just added little more powdered sugar. it worked out great. cant wait to try it this thanksgiving.. it was fun making it!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      That really sucks, I have no idea what to say except that mascarpone must be different in the US. I’ve never seen mascarpone curdle. Also, I start making this frosting with both mascarpone and cream well chilled. I wonder if it makes sense to make sure the mascarpone is very fresh. Sometimes products that are imported from Europe don’t move as quickly in grocery stores and it really affects their quality.
      I did a quick search trying to see why that happened and found that it can happen if mascarpone is overbeaten and it happens quicker if it’s warm. Here is the link to Nigella Lawson’s website where it’s explained-http://www.nigella.com/kitchen-queries/view/Curdled-Mascarpone-When-Making-Tiramisini/5151
      Well done on saving it, Lena! Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
      • lena says

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        It was awesome anyway! love love love it… it’s a keeper, not to sweet just the way i like it. thank you!!

        Reply
        • vikalinka says

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          Aw, I am so happy to hear it, Lena!

          Reply
      • Victoria says

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        I have a feeling when they say “curdle” they just mean that there were chunks of mascarpone in the cream? Which can happen if it’s not softened before beating it…

        Reply
    • Renee says

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      How much cream cheese did you use

      Reply
      • vikalinka says

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        Renee, if you are replacing mascarpone with cream cheese you would use the same amount as in the recipe.

        Reply
  30. Oana says

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    5 stars
    Oh wow, look at this cake! Looks stunning! Well done! All these flavors sound like a match made in heaven! I would love to try this cake. Pinned!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thank you, Oana!

      Reply
  31. Lucy Parissi says

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    Happy birthday Vikalinka!! We are almost the same age (blog-wise). Hope we will be celebrating blogaversaries for many years to come. Gorgeous cake – wish I could have had a slice…

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

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      Thank you, Lucy! I hope so too. 🙂

      Reply
  32. Kate says

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    Made this cake this week – the cakes turned out beautifully but the frosting was a complete fail. Are those directions accurate? Add the liquid heavy cream and then beat? Because the whole thing curdled and became a giant mess. I’m a pretty experienced baker and I’ve never seen anything like that. In retrospect, I should’ve whipped the cream separately and then folded together. Can you provide any more insight?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Hi Kate, sorry it didn’t turn out. I am not quite sure why it curdled. I make this frosting the exact way I described in the recipe. I made it several times and also wrote about it on my blog- for this cake https://vikalinka.com/2013/10/24/raspberry-limoncello-cake-with-mascarpone/ and also here https://vikalinka.com/2013/12/22/coconut-meringue-kisses-with-mascarpone-cream/. I’ve never seen mascarpone curdle unless it was watery? Mascarpone has a very high fat content (60-75%) and whipping cream is also very fatty so no reason any of these ingredients cause curdling which usually happens when fat comes in contact with water. My only guess is the ingredients. Do you live in England or North America? I know that both mascarpone and heavy creamy are slightly different there and that might be what caused it.

      Reply
    • Danielle says

      at

      I made this frosting on a cake for my coworkers and it worked out beautifully! Soft, airy texture and really easy to spread! Will definitely make it again! I’m living in the UK as well so I do wonder if the difference might just be the ingredients themselves as they are a little different in North America. Fantastic recipe! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jill says

        at

        I’m in the US and i have an icing recipe very similar to this, but it calls for cream cheese instead of mascarpone. One of my go to recipes. For those in the states this might help with the curdling problem.

        Can’t wait to try this recipe!!

        Reply
        • vikalinka says

          at

          Yes, cream cheese is a fair substitute but unfortunately not exactly the same. For those with curdling problems I would recommend whipping mascarpone and cream separately and then combining the two.

          Reply
  33. Jennifer Farley says

    at

    This is seriously gorgeous.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Thank you, Jen. I learned to cut my slices from you. 😉

      Reply
  34. vikalinka says

    at

    Thank you so much, Cynthia! Your comment made me grin from ear to ear. 🙂

    Reply
  35. cynthia says

    at

    YAY happy happy blogiversary!!!!!!!!!! Your words are so beautiful and resonate so much with me — it’s so true, it’s magical how the Internet can be such a wellspring of love, kindred spirits, and joy through food (while simultaneously so angry not so far away..) I’m so glad that you decided to blog and share your gifts with us 🙂 This cake is spectacular — so so beautiful. Yay for Vikalinka!

    Reply
  36. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    at

    Happy blog birthday and what a lovely cake to celebrate with! I’m smitten with that luscious frosting :).

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Thank you, Laura! I’ve never been a fan of the traditional buttercream and Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a bit fiddly, although I LOVE it, so this frosting is my favourite go-to recipe since it’s quick, stable and can be made into any flavour I want!

      Reply
  37. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says

    at

    Stunningly beautiful cake, Julia and love the combination of chocolate stout and pumpkin spice! And happy 2nd blogiversary 🙂

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Thank you, Jennifer!

      Reply
  38. Stacy S says

    at

    Soooo excited to try this. I am considering making it and driving 2 hours to our in laws. How well do you think it will travel? Can I refrigerate the day before and travel with it in an ice box?
    Thank you so much!
    Stacy

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Oh Stacy, absolutely! I would be concerned if it were summertime but not this time of the year. I kept it overnight in my conservatory which we call our “icebox” in the winter and it’s perfect temperature for it.

      Reply
      • Ken Ottem says

        at

        5 stars
        I wonder if adding White melted Chocolate to cream cheese mix will help stabilize it ? !

        Reply
        • vikalinka says

          at

          Hi Ken, I really can’t answer this question since I have no problems with the stability of my icing but I live in the UK and have different ingredients. I think if you are worried about it you might want to consider using cream cheese instead of mascarpone. You shouldn’t have any problems then. Cheers!
          Julia

          Reply
      • Kimberly Pete says

        at

        Have you made this without the simple syrup?

        Reply
        • vikalinka says

          at

          I have not. I usually use some sort of flavoured simple syrup in my cakes, it adds moisture and flavour.

          Reply
  39. Dee @ The Kitchen Snob says

    at

    Beautiful photos and a yummy looking recipe! Wow. I’m a little scared to try so many layers but I may have to try this one. Amazing! And congratulations on your 2 yr blogiversary!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Thank you!!Dee, it might look intimidating but it’s really simple. I baked both cake many times and they always turn out without a fail. Everything else is just stacking!

      Reply

Trackbacks

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  2. Thanksgiving Alternatives | northcountylistchick says:
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    […] haven’t personally tried this one, but it looks amazing: Spiced Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake with Maple Mascarpone Frosting. Normally I would say, “Cheese in frosting?!” but after tasting ricotta in gelato, […]

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Julia from Vikalinka

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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