One Bowl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

5 from 2 votes

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Some desserts just scream FALL and this is one of them. You’ll love how easy this one bowl pumpkin cake (with chocolate chips!) is to make. It’s so moist, full of bright fall flavor, and the perfect treat to make right now.

pumpkin cake on white plate with fork
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Easy Pumpkin Cake

I LOVE this recipe because it’s kind of like pumpkin cookies and pumpkin bread mixed together. It’s super simple to make (easier than pumpkin bread I think) but shares the same flavors as both the pumpkin bread and the cookies.

So easy in fact that my 13-year-old can make it on her own (a wonderful skill she’s developing). I love that I know just what’s in the treats my kids are eating- simple ingredients and lots of love.

I’m working with Bob’s Red Mill on today’s post! I’ve been a huge Bob’s Red Mill fan and customer for years and working with them is such an honor. We’re highlighting the most used flour in my kitchen today, Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose flour!

Simple Ingredients for an easy cake:

You don’t need anything fancy to make this amazing cake!

  • Melted butter: The butter gives the cake a great flavor and a springy texture.
  • Applesauce: I use applesauce to help sweeten the cake just a bit, to make the cake extra moist, and to help cut down on some of the butter needed in the recipe.
  • Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds great color and some depth of flavor to this recipe.
  • Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour: a standard flour for baking and a favorite in my kitchen (did you know I buy Bob’s Red Mill organic all-purpose flour by the 25 pound bag! And I go through more than one a month, seriously).
  • Spices: I’ve mixed together cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg for that ideal Autumn flavor.
  • Chocolate Chips: why do pumpkin and chocolate go so well together?!
pumpkin cake cut into pieces in blue pan

Bob’s Red Mill makes Halloween baking a breeze with their simple ingredients and easy to find flours.

More Fall Recipes:

pumpkin cake in blue pan, cut in pieces
5 from 2 votes

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

You’ll love how easy this one bowl chocolate chip pumpkin cakes comes together. It’s so simple to make and easier to share with friends and family. 
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 24

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 can pumpkin puree, (15 ounces)
  • 1 1/3 cups Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • pinch cloves
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips, (we like milk chocolate chips in this recipe)

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
  • Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish well with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the butter, applesauce, and brown sugar. Stir to combine well, about 1 minute. Beat the full minute to help the sugar to start to dissolve and get worked into the butter. 
  • Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and mix to combine.
  • Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt to the bowl on top of the pumpkin mixture.
  • Stir until the mixture comes together and there are no dry spots left.
  • Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine (if you’d like, reserve 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the batter after it’s in the pan, highly recommend, it makes the cake pretty). 
  • Place the batter in the prepared pan.
  • Bake in the hot oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cake rest in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • You can use light oil like avocado or canola oil for the butter if you like. I tried both options and the butter did have a better flavor, but the oil still worked well. 
  • You can sub the butter for more applesauce or you can sub the applesauce for more butter, they all work great.
  • You can use Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat flour in this recipe, it works great too and I do it often.
  • You can add oatmeal to this recipe by subbing 1/3 cup of the all-purpose flour for 1/2 cup of rolled oats.
  • You can reduce the sugar in this recipes to 1 cup with success if you like a less sweet treat. 
  • You can use whatever chocolate chips you like. We like milk chocolate chips with our pumpkin treats but semi-sweet or dark chocolate would also work great. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 24 servings, Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 132mg, Potassium: 115mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 2888IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg
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How can I tell when this pumpkin cake is done?

Unlike some other foods, pumpkin cake will not continue to cook after it is removed from the oven. If it is not cooked enough, it will fall in the center and be gummy (not in a good underdone cookie way either). Wait until the cake doesn’t look raw/wet anymore, the top is puffy, and the top is an even color.

You can also do the trusty toothpick test. If the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean- they are done. You can also lightly press the cake with a finger. If the cake springs back, it’s done, if an intend stays, it needs to bake longer.

It’s ok to err on the side of cooking these longer if you are unsure, you won’t dry this cake out easily.

pumpkin cake cut into pieces in blue pan

Can I freeze pumpkin chocolate chip cake?

Absolutely! This cake freeze like a dream for up to 6 months. When you are ready to dive into it again, let it thaw at room temperature first or a little zap in the microwave will do the trick. You can freeze the cake whole in the pan or you can freeze it into smaller portions.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling for this recipe?

Nope, stick with pumpkin puree. Using the pie filling would be much too sweet.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill, one of my all-time favorite brands and a constant in my kitchen. Thank you for supporting that brands that help make Bless this Mess possible.

Crack open that can of pumpkin and make this quick and easy pumpkin cake that’s made with Bob’s Red Mill flour, chocolate chips, and lots of pumpkin (a whole can). I know you will loooooove it.

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this the other day and it was absolutely perfect. Perfectly flavored, perfect texture. Definitely will make again.