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White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake was inspired by a piece of candy I ate recently. It was a piece of Dove White Chocolate Pumpkin Pie candy.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake on cake pedestal.

I already have a great white chocolate cake recipe, plus a rich and flavorful pumpkin pudding that this cake was begging to be created.

Get ready to devour three layers of decadent white chocolate cake filled with pumpkin filling, covered with white chocolate frosting. For the finishing touch, I poured a white chocolate drip on top and let it do its thing!

Overhead shot of White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake on cake pedestal.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Ingredients

  • Cake flour: cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which produces delicate and fine crumbed cakes like this one.
  • Baking powder: leavens the cake.
  • Granulated sugar: flavors the cake batter and incorporates and dissolves easily into the cake batter.
  • Salt: helps enhance flavor.
  • Eggs: bind, thicken, emulsify and leavens.
  • Buttermilk: adds a tangy flavor, as well as tenderizes and creates a fluffy crumb. Bakers Tip: Sour cream or yogurt can be substituted for buttermilk. Both are acidic and produce similar results.
  • Vanilla extract: helps bring the flavors out.
  • Sour cream: makes the cake tender.
  • Unsalted butter: is rich in flavor and also helps determine the cakes crumb. Fat coats the flour stopping their ability to form too much gluten. Bakers Tip: Always use unsalted butter since different brands of butter have different amounts of salt in them.
  • Melted white chocolate: adds flavor to the white chocolate cake layers.

Pumpkin Filling

This filling comes together quickly with just a few ingredients, a bowl and a hand mixer.

Overhead shot of completed pumpkin filling for White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake.

White Chocolate Frosting

This frosting crusts over so I recommend using it right away or covering it with a damp cloth or paper towel.

How To Fill White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

  • Place a nonslip mat on top of your cake turntable. Center one cake layer on a cake board and place the cake board on a cake turntable. Fit a piping bag with a round piping tip or coupler and fill with about 1 1/2 cups buttercream. 
  • Pipe a buttercream dam around the edge of the cake. 
  • Place 1 cup of the pumpkin filling in the center and spread out in an even layer with a small offset cake spatula. Place the second cake layer on top and pipe a buttercream dam on the edge. Spread another 1 cup pumpkin filling on top in an even layer until it reaches the buttercream dam. Place the third cake layer on top (bottom side up). 

How To Apply A Crumb Coat

Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake catching any loose crumbs and sealing them in. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake crumb coated.

Frosting the Cake

  • Apply a second and final coat of buttercream on the cake by lining an 8-inch acrylic disc with parchment paper. Apply a generous amount of frosting on top and spread out in an even layer. 
  • Place the lined acrylic disc on top of the cake, parchment paper side down and gently press down on to the top of the cake, making sure the disc is level and lines up with the bottom cake board. 
  • Apply more frosting to the sides of the cake.
  • Gently press a cake scraper against the top disc and bottom cake board and smooth out the sides of the cake by rotating the cake turntable. Fill in any gaps in the buttercream and rotate the cake turntable with the cake scraper again. 
Frosting the White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake.

White Chocolate Drip Tips

  • I prefer to use white chocolate melts because I like the color and flavor more than real white chocolate. However, you can substitute the chocolate melts for white chocolate chips and proceed with the recipe as written. Note that real white chocolate is more temperamental so keep a close eye on it during the melting process.
  • For this cake I used the pour-and-spread method for the white chocolate drips. This look gave it a fun drip coating over the top of the cake. Another way to apply drips is strategically placing drips on the side of the cake with a spoon, squeeze bottle or piping bag. Then, covering the top and spreading the chocolate out to the sides where it meets the drips.
  • Chill your cake before adding the drips. The chilled cake will help slow down the drips, giving you more control.
  • Make sure the chocolate is the right temperature. It should be fluid but not warm.

Cake Decorating Tools

  • Cake turntable
  • 8-inch round cake board
  • Piping bags
  • Round piping tip or coupler
  • Small offset spatula
  • 8-inch round acrylic disc
  • Parchment paper
  • Cake scraper
  • Ateco piping tip #828
  • Dove white chocolate pumpkin pie candy
White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake on pedestal at three quarter angle.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Baking Schedule

  • Day 1: Bake cake layers.
  • Day 2: Prepare filling, frosting, assemble, and serve.
Close up of White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake slice.

Make Ahead

Filling can be made up to 5 days in advance, wrapped with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.

Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Frosting and white chocolate drip are best made the day of assembly.

White open shot of White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake slices.

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White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake layers.

Suggested Recipes

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake on pedestal at three quarter angle.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Three layers of white chocolate cake layers, filled with pumpkin filling, frosted with white chocolate frosting, white chocolate drip and white chocolate pumpkin candy.

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

  • 3 8-inch round cake pans
  • Nonstick baking spray
  • Stand mixer
  • Hand mixer
  • 4 cup liquid measuring cup
  • Sieve
  • Cake turntable
  • 8-inch round cake board
  • Piping bags
  • Round piping tip our coupler
  • Small offset cake spatula
  • 8-inch round acrylic disc
  • Parchment paper
  • Cake scraper
  • Ateco piping tip #828
  • Dove White Chocolate Pumpkin candy

WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • 3 cups (12 ounces) cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) white chocolate, melted

PUMPKIN FILLING

  • 1 15-ounce canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) white chocolate chips
  • 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly cold (around 65 degrees)
  • 6 cups (24 ounces) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIP

  • 1 cup (180 grams/8 ounces) Wilton Very White chocolate candy melts
  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy cream

Instructions

WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE

  1. Adjust and oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
  2. Place white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and mix on medium speed until combined.
  4. In a 4 cup measuring cup, add the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract and sour cream and whisk to combine.
  5. Slowly add the butter to the mixer bowl with the dry ingredients, one tablespoon at a time. Mix until the mixture resembles pea sized balls of flour.
  6. Reserve 1/2 cup of the wet ingredients and add the remaining into the dry ingredients. Mix on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until combined. Add the reserved 1/2 cup wet ingredients to the batter and mix until combined on medium speed, about 30 seconds. Add the melted chocolate and mix on medium speed until combined.
  7. Divide the cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, rotating pans halfway through baking.
  8. Let cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes, then invert them on to cooling racks to cool completely.

PUMPKIN FILLING

  1. In a large bowl, beat pumpkin puree with mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, pumpkin spice and salt until thick.

WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

  1. Heat cream in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Pour hot cream over the white chocolate chips and stir until smooth and combined. Heat the mixture for another 20 to 30 seconds in 10 second intervals if needed. Set aside to cool slightly.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  3. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the melted white chocolate and mix until smooth and combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Remove the mixer bowl from the mixer stand and place a sieve on top. Pour the powdered sugar over the sieve and with a spoon, stir the powdered sugar until it is all in the mixer bowl. This method helps reduce the powdered sugar cloud. Place the mixer bowl back on the stand.
  5. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and mix until smooth and combined. Add salt and stir to combine.
  6. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes until the buttercream is smooth and light in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

ASSEMBLE CAKE

  1. Place a nonslip mat on top of your cake turntable. Center one cake layer on a cake board and place the cake board on a cake turntable. Fit a piping bag with a round piping tip or coupler and filled with about 1 1/2 cups buttercream. Pipe a buttercream dam around the edge of the cake.
  2. Place 1 cup of the pumpkin filling in the center and spread out in an even layer with a small offset cake spatula. Place the second cake layer on top and pipe a buttercream dam on the edge. Spread another 1 cup pumpkin filling on top in an even layer until it reaches the buttercream dam. Place the third cake layer on top (bottom side up).

CRUMB COATING

  1. Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake catching any loose crumbs and sealing them in. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.
  2. Apply a second and final coat of buttercream on the cake by lining an 8-inch acrylic disc with parchment paper. Apply a generous amount of frosting on top and spread out in an even layer. You should have excess frosting hanging off the sides of the cake. Place the lined acrylic disc on top of the cake, parchment paper side down and gently press down on to the top of the cake, making sure the disc is level and lines up with the bottom cake board. Apply more frosting to the sides of the cake. Gently press a cake scraper against the top disc and bottom cake board and smooth out the sides of the cake by rotating the cake turntable. Fill in any gaps in the buttercream and rotate the cake turntable with the cake scraper again. Once the sides of the cake are smooth, chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  3. Gently remove the acrylic disc from the top of the cake with your offset cake spatula, by inserting the spatula under the disc and gently turning the cake turntable until the disc releases. Peel off the parchment paper from the cake and fill in any holes in the buttercream. Chill the cake in the refrigerator while you prepare the white chocolate drip.

WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIP

  1. In a microwavable bowl combined candy melts and heavy cream and microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until melted.
  2. Let chocolate cool at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Pour melted but cool white chocolate over the top of the cake and using an offset spatula, spread out the drip to the edges allowing the chocolate to drip where it may.
  4. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 1 hour so the chocolate drip can set before adding additional decoration.
  5. Fit a piping bag with piping tip #828 and fill with remaining buttercream. Pipe 8 buttercream swirls on the top edge of the cake. Place a white chocolate pumpkin candy on top of each swirl and serve.

Notes

Filling can be made up to 5 days in advance, wrapped with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.

Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Frosting and white chocolate drip are best made the day of assembly.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 504Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 527mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 2gSugar: 34gProtein: 12g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

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