Chocolate Toffee Pumpkin Torte

The centerpiece of your holiday table!

Serves: 12
Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder, (we used Hershey's)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup buttermilk
• For Filling and Frosting:
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 8 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 bag toffee bits

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8" cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and fit each bottom with an 8" circle of parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, baking soda and salt. In medium mixing bowl, stir together the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside. Using a hand held mixer with a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and molasses. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, mixing well after each addition. Divide batter among the pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove cakes and cool.

While cakes are cooling make frosting: In a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar until combined and continue to mix until light and creamy. Mix in orange juice. Chill the frosting until cakes are completely cooled.

To assemble the torte, place one layer on a cake plate and top with one third of frosting (do not frost the sides) Sprinkle toffee bits over the frosting. Repeat with the second and third layer ending with beautiful frosting and sprinkling of toffee bits. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTE: To ensure that the cake layers do not shift, cut 3-4 bamboo skewers 1/4" shorter than the height of the full cake and insert them before frosting the top.

This recipe was specially prepared and created by Paula Deen for Smithfield. Recipe and photo courtesy of Smithfield.

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Comments (4) Post Your Comment

Terra
I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was SPECTACULAR! So good and beautiful, too! It took about 45 minutes prep time total (and that was with my 2 1/2 year old "helping"), and about 10 minutes to assemble it. Since we were traveling Thanksgiving day, I wrapped the cakes separately then put them together and frosted them once we arrived. The cake was a HUGE hit and my husband says it's the best cake he's ever had- that says a lot since I've cooked quite a few cakes over the years.

Dawnvd
I made this for dessert for my family's thanksgiving. It was a huge hit. Everyone loved it and was asking if I bought the cake. We only used half of the frosting because the cake was rich enough on its own, but we could not pass up the toffee bits in the frosting...it was the perfect compliment to the cake, but like I said we only used half the amount of frosting on the cake. Besides that, I definately plan on making it again. This was the first multi-layered homeade cake I ever made. I usually make cake from a box! This was way better than any boxed cake I ever made.

Happy baking! Dawn (WI)

jcrigler
A friend made this and it was absolutely delicious. I love the added crunch that the little toffee bits give it. so good!!!

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