Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake Only 2 Ingredients! Easy recipe without flour and butter
Please, don’t turn up your nose! I know, “Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake with only 2 ingredients” sounds like one of those magic tricks that promises too much.
Instead, this recipe is a pure and simple demonstration of how sweet preparation can be simple and good.
I created this cake for a celiac friend of mine, to whom, poor thing, I always made the same dessert (the Torta Tenerina, very delicious indeed!).
I wanted to change it up a bit and offer her something new. The challenge was to create a dessert without flour and added fats that didn’t taste like a diet. It turned out to be a success!
The star is the Pumpkin, which not only adds color and flavor but also acts as a natural binder and moisturizer. The second star, the Dark Chocolate, brings the flavor and texture.
The common mistake with this cake is not giving it enough time to firm up. If you eat it warm, it will be too soft.
I discovered that the real secret, which makes it halfway between a moist brownie and a cheesecake, is the extended cooling in the refrigerator.
It’s there that the cake firms up and develops its final rich and melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Once you’ve tried the ease of the process – melt, mix, and bake – you’ll never go back.
The pumpkin pulp blends perfectly with the melted chocolate, turning into a cake with a unique texture. An autumnal dessert as simple as it is irresistible.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: Cake Pan (7-8 inches)
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients (Servings for an 7-8 inches pan)
- 10.5 oz dark chocolate
- 1 cup pumpkin (Cooked and drained Pumpkin Puree)
- to taste powdered sugar (optional for decoration)
Tools
- Food scale
- Immersion blender
- Spatula
- Cake pan
Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake Procedure Only 2 Ingredients
Cook the pumpkin (Delica or Butternut is ideal) in the oven, steam or microwave until completely soft. Crucial Step: Carefully remove any excess water by letting the pumpkin drain, then blend the pulp until smooth and lump-free. Let it cool completely.
Melt the dark chocolate (in a double boiler or microwave in short 30-second intervals) stirring until you get a smooth and shiny cream.
Add the cold pumpkin puree to the (hot) melted chocolate and mix quickly but well with a spatula, until uniform. Pour the mixture into an 7-8 inches cake pan lined with parchment paper or lightly oiled.
Level the surface and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 35 minutes. The surface should be dry but the center still soft. Remove from oven and let the cake cool completely in the pan.
Transfer the cake, still in the mold, to the fridge and let it rest for at least 1 hour (ideally 3-4 hours or overnight). This step is crucial to let it firm up and achieve its final melt-in-the-mouth consistency. Remove from mold, transfer to a plate, and serve plain or decorate as desired.
Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions
Pumpkin Puree: Excess water is the enemy! You need to use a firm pumpkin (Delica) and let it drain very well after cooking. If the puree is too liquid, the cake won’t firm up in the fridge.
Dark Chocolate: Use good quality chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content. The cocoa fat is what allows the cake to take structure. Avoid milk chocolate, which is too sweet.
Sweetness: The sweetness of the cake comes almost entirely from the pumpkin. If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup along with the puree, but you’ll lose the “2 ingredients” element.
Storage
Refrigerator: Given the high moisture and presence of melted chocolate, this cake must be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 4-5 days.
Serving: Remove from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving to slightly soften the texture and better release the aroma of the chocolate.
Alternatives and Variations
Spicy Touch (3 Ingredients Variation): Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger (or Pumpkin Spice) along with the pumpkin puree.
Crunchiness (4 Ingredients Variation): Mix 1.76 oz of chopped almonds or walnuts into the batter before baking to add a crunchy note.
Quick Topping: Decorate with a quick glaze made of powdered sugar and a little orange juice (1.76 oz powdered sugar + 1 teaspoon juice).
Perfect Use and Pairings
The Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake is a pantry dessert, perfect for autumn evenings:
Occasion: Ideal as a light end-of-meal dessert, or for a snack with an intense but balanced taste. Great as a Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free dessert (if the chocolate contains no milk derivatives).
Pairing: Accompany it with a good American Coffee or a glass of Brandy/Cognac if served after dinner. For a snack, try a hot Masala Chai (spiced tea).
Origin and History of the Recipe
This specific cake with only two ingredients (Chocolate and Pumpkin/Sweet Potatoes/Beans, etc.) is a modern trend in Healthy and Gluten-Free baking, made viral by food bloggers. It uses a known technique in cooking: the fat of the melted chocolate, once cooled, acts as a binder for the vegetable or fruit puree, eliminating the need for flour, baking powder, and butter. Although the Pumpkin and Chocolate combination is typical of autumn (recalling American traditions), the “2 ingredients” formula is a contemporary genius optimization that rewards simplicity.
Why Does It Work Without Flour?
The magic of this cake is biochemical: dark chocolate consists of cocoa butter and cocoa mass (solid fats at room temperature). When you melt it, you make it liquid. When you add the pumpkin puree, it disperses in the fat. The rest in the fridge resolidifies the cocoa butter, creating a compact fat matrix that traps the pumpkin puree. Thus, the cake gets its structure without the need for flour or whipped eggs, resulting not baked, but simply firmed up and dense.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
1. Can I use less chocolate to make it less caloric?
No, the proportion is fundamental. The ratio between 10.5 oz of chocolate (the binder) and 1 cup of pumpkin puree (the moisture) cannot be reduced without compromising the cake’s structure. It would become too liquid and would not firm up.
2. Do I need to add sugar? Is the pumpkin sweet enough?
Depends on your taste and the pumpkin. Pumpkins like Delica or Butternut are naturally sweet. If you use 70% chocolate, the contrast will be intense and almost bitter. If you prefer a traditional sweet, you can add 1.76 oz of powdered sugar to the pumpkin puree, but this invalidates the “2 ingredients” element.
3. If I don’t put it in the fridge, will it spoil?
It won’t spoil, but the texture won’t be as desired. The fridge is essential to let the chocolate become solid again and compact the cake, transforming it from a soft batter into a dense, melt-in-the-mouth dessert. If served at room temperature, it will remain too soft.
