Chocolate Harvest Cake with Pumpkin Filling & Ganache

Emily's Birthday Cake Tradition:

Chocolate Harvest Cake with Berries

       When I asked my sister what type of cake or dessert she likes these days, in preparation for making her birthday cake, she unhesitatingly and immediately answered "Chocolate Harvest Cake."  Since Emily has been overseas or far away for at least a decade worth of birthdays, I was so eager to finally bake for my sister's day, but had never made "Chocolate Harvest Cake."  Emily emailed the recipe to me and soon I was making homemade chocolate cake, a creamy pumpkin cream cheese filling and a chocolate glaze, topped with berries, almond slivers, and red seedless grapes. 

 

 

       I am so thankful that my sister was home for a birthday, especially such a milestone birthday (30th), and that she has shared such a delightful recipe with me.  My favorite part was laying out the toppings atop the drizzled cake.  The almond slivers reminded me of Swedish straw ornaments as they radiated out from the center of the cake.  And the taste of red grapes with the rich chocolate ganache is akin to chocolate fondue.  I never would have attempted decorating a cake with grapes, but now I will never forget the possibility!  Thank you, Emily, for not only being such an amazing sister and an amazing mother to your three young boys, but thank you also for being such an amazing baker!  Happy Birthday!  May this year bring you a happy, settled, peaceful home and may it satisfy all your deepest dreams!

The Recipe:
Chocolate Harvest Cake:

Cake:
1 c buttermilk
1 c water
2/3 c cooking oil
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 c flour (I used 2 c plus 4 T cake flour)
3/4 c cocoa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour two 9 inch round pans.  Whisk together ingredients (I used the whisk attachment on my kitchen aid mixer and I did whip the eggs for a couple of minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients) and pour into pans.  Bake 30-35 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans.

Filling:
8  oz. cream cheese
1/3 c canned pureed pumpkin
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Whip all ingredients and spread between cake layers.

Glaze:
1/2 c whipping cream
4 oz semi-sweet chips, chopped (I used mini morsels so I didn't have to chop them--I'd love to try this with milk chocolate!)

Melt and mix over medium heat.  After mostly smooth, remove from heat and let cool for fifteen minutes.  Pour over cake.  Decorate cake with seedless red grapes, black berries, toasted hazelnuts or almonds, and/or shredded orange peel.