It’s hard to avoid pumpkins in autumn… They are lying around everywhere – in large containers in supermarkets, as decoration in gardens and in front of houses. I prefer to use pumpkins for baking instead of decorations (not only in autumn). The best example of an excellent use of pumpkin in a baking recipe is this extremely tasty Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Cake aka. Tiger Cake! Absolutely delicious and also very pretty to look at. I’d say everything here is just perfect. Am I exaggerating? Yes. Maybe. But no! ;P
Simple loaf cakes can be awesome when baked properly. I don’t need a 20-layer cake with buttercream and decorations when there is a good loaf cake on the table. I mean – I will not reject the layer cake and eat it as well when offered, but I am also happy with a slice of a simple and moist loaf cake. A cake like this Tiger Cake here.
In Germany, we are not using pumpkins that often for baking recipes. We prefer the veggie in a soup or roasted as a side. We just don’t have the tradition of using pumpkin in bakes… like the U.S., for example. Thanksgiving without Pumpkin Pie would be unthinkable for many folks. It’s an essential part of autumn over there! But things are changing. People are slowly accepting that bakes with pumpkins are really delicious.
If you want to try other baked goods made with pumpkins, take a look below. I love to use the veggie in my bakes. You don’t have to be very adventurous to give those bakes a try… I promise they are all delicious! ;)
Well. If you baked a marble cake before, you might know they can get dry after a while – that’s not happening with this one here. Thanks to the pumpkin purée the cake stays soft and moist for days. The texture of cakes made with veggies is always great, because the puréed veggies help to retain moisture. If you are happy with veggies in a cake, I can only recommend trying this cake. Maybe you want to try more? Have you ever made a Zucchini Cake or a Beetroot Chocolate Cake? Both cakes have the perfect texture, and you will not even notice they are made with veggies ;)
Preparing a marble cake like this is really easy. The batter comes together quickly. With a bit of coca powder you create the dark chocolate batter and the rest stays as it is – combined in the baking tin you will get the layered marble effect. The procedure is similar to a Zebra Cake where you create many layers…
Many marble cake recipes will tell you to mix the batters with a fork or spoon – here you only create layers. I’ve baked this cake several times and depending on the texture of the batter you have to adjust the process. With a soft batter, you can simply pour it into the baking tin to create the layers. If the batter is firmer, you have to spoon it into the baking tin and spread it out. The texture of the batter can change quite a bit due to the texture of the pumpkin purée. If the purée contains a lot of liquid, the batter will be soft and runny – if not, you will get a thick spoonable batter. ;P
What am I telling you – you probably all know already how to get batter into a baking tin. It’s not rocket science. ;P
A mentioned before – there are a lot more baking recipes with pumpkin here in the blog. My simple & easy Pumpkin Loaf Cake is a great example for these recipes. Like the marble cake here, it’s simply delicious and extremely moist. I think you can see that on the pictures already.
My Pumpkin Chocolate Pecan Muffins are no less delicious. Here, it’s the combination of chocolate and nuts that makes the muffins so good. In case you are not a fan of pecans (I know a few people that don’t like these nuts), you can also use walnuts instead. They work equally well in this recipe.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
3/4 cup (170g) melted butter
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (340g) pumpkin purée
1/2 cup (120ml) milk, plus 3 tbsp.
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 oz. (30g) cocoa powder
170g Butter, geschmolzen
100g Zucker
100g brauner Zucker
340g Kürbispüree
120ml Milch, plus 3 EL
2 Eier (L)
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
260g Mehl (Type 405)
2 TL Kürbiskuchengewürz
1 1/2 TL Backpulver
1 TL Natron
1/4 TL Salz
30g Backkakao
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a loaf tin* (about 23x13cm) with a piece of baking parchment and grease lightly. Set aside. Melt the butter and let cool down.
2. In a large bowl, mix melted butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin purée, the 120ml of milk, eggs, and vanilla extract – mix until well combined. In a separate bowl mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the large bowl and fold in with a rubber spatula. Take about 1/3 of the batter out into a separate bowl, add the cocoa powder and the 3 tablespoons of milk and mix until well combined.
3. Layer the two batters, starting with the light batter. Depending on the thickness of your batter, you might have to spread each batter with an offset spatula to create even layers. If your batter is runny enough, it will do that pretty much on its own. Finish with light batter, smooth out the top and bake the cake for about 70-80 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool down inside the baking tin for about 10-15 minutes, then lift the cake out of the tin with the baking parchment and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
1. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine Kastenform* (etwa 23x13cm) mit einem Stück Backpapier auslegen und leicht einfetten. Zur Seite stellen. Die Butter schmelzen und abkühlen lassen.
2. Geschmolzene Butter und beide Zuckersorten in einer großen Schüssel hell und luftig aufschlagen. Kürbispüree, die 120ml Milch, Eier und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und alles gut verrühren. In einer zweiten Schüssel Mehl mit Kürbiskuchengewürz, Backpulver, Natron und Salz vermischen. Zur großen Schüssel dazugeben und mit einem Gummispatel o.ä. untermengen. Etwa 1/3 des Teigs in eine separate Schüssel geben, das Kakaopulver und die 3 EL Milch dazugeben und alles gut verrühren.
3. Die beiden Teige in die vorbereitete Form schichten, dabei mit dem hellen Teig anfangen. Je nachdem wie dickflüssig/fest der Teig ist, muss man hier ggf. einen Spatel zu Hilfe nehmen und den Teig in der Form verstreichen. Ist der Teig weich/flüssig genug, geht das mehr oder weniger von alleine. Mit hellem Teig abschließen, die Oberfläche glatt streichen. Den Kuchen für etwa 70-80 Minuten backen – mit einem Holzspieß testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und den Kuchen erst herausholen, wenn dieser sauber herauskommt. Den Kuchen aus dem Ofen nehmen und etwa 10-15 Minuten in der Form abkühlen lassen, dann mit dem Backpapier aus der Form heben und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett auskühlen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Cake (Tiger Cake)
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 01:10
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The perfect cake for fall and Thanksgiving – this Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Cake aka. Tiger Cake is extremely delicious and a family favorite!
Ingredients
3/4 cup (170g) melted butter
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (340g) pumpkin purée
1/2 cup (120ml) milk, plus 3 tbsp.
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 oz. (30g) cocoa powder
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a loaf tin* (about 23x13cm) with a piece of baking parchment and grease lightly. Set aside. Melt the butter and let cool down.
2. In a large bowl, mix melted butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin purée, the 120ml of milk, eggs, and vanilla extract – mix until well combined. In a separate bowl mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the large bowl and fold in with a rubber spatula. Take about 1/3 of the batter out into a separate bowl, add the cocoa powder and the 3 tablespoons of milk and mix until well combined.
3. Layer the two batters, starting with the light batter. Depending on the thickness of your batter, you might have to spread each batter with an offset spatula to create even layers. If your batter is runny enough, it will do that pretty much on its own. Finish with light batter, smooth out the top and bake the cake for about 70-80 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool down inside the baking tin for about 10-15 minutes, then lift the cake out of the tin with the baking parchment and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
Notes
Let the baking begin!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
