Skinny Chocolate Glazed Pumpkin Cake

These are a couple of the reasons why I love fall the most:

First, it’s the season for pumpkin breads and muffins, which are the best.

My favorite has always been chocolate chip pumpkin bread – sweet pumpkin and rich chocolate are the perfect pair, in my mind.

Chocolate chip pumpkin bread feels like a snack, though, and what I wanted to try this year was a true dessert – something that really feels like an indulgent treat.

So I baked a rich and moist pumpkin cake and topped it with a sweet chocolate glaze…

…Huge success!

Meat-and-Potatoes-Guy loves this cake, and it’s one of my new favorites too.

It’s the perfect, indulgent after-dinner treat, and yet the pumpkin makes it quite healthy too.

This dessert (with canola oil and whole wheat flour) is very low in saturated fat (less than 1 gram per serving) and packed with a full day’s supply of Vitamin A (for healthy, smooth skin and a strong immune system).

(Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the complete, printable recipe.)

Second best thing about the season for me: the stunning fall colors in New England.

Meat-and-Potatoes-Guy and I took Calvin on a small hike near Boston at a state park called Blue Hills Reservation (it’s a ski destination in the winter).

There was a nice view of the city skyline from the top.

And quite the striking sunset!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the pumpkin cake.

Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.

Grab a mixing bowl and add all of the following: whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

Also add some delicious ground spices (which will complement the pumpkin perfectly!): cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

Sift together the ingredients and stir until well combined.

Grab a second large mixing bowl and add a can of 100% pure pumpkin puree.

Along with an egg, some sugar, some heart-healthy canola oil, a bit of low-fat milk, and some vanilla extract.

Whisk until all the ingredients are well combined.

Then slowly blend in the flour mixture, stirring just until the batter is well combined.

Next, grab an 8-inch X 4-inch baking pan and coat it thoroughly with canola oil cooking spray.

Pour the pumpkin batter into the pan.

Then grab a table knife to spread and smooth the batter on top, ensuring the corners are filled in and the surface is perfectly smooth and even.

Toss the cake into the oven.

The cake takes about 40 minutes to bake. So at this point, you can forget about it for a while.

(It’s best to limit opening the oven door to check on the cake – opening the door will lower the temperature of the oven.)

The cake will soon fill your house with the yummy aroma of freshly baked, cinnamon spice pumpkin.

(No need for that “Pumpkin Spice” Yankee Candle today – you’ve got the real thing going!)

At the end of the baking time, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake.

If it comes out without any batter stuck to it, the cake is ready.

If batter clings to the toothpick, allow the cake to bake a few minutes more.

When the cake is ready, set it on the counter to cool for several minutes.

When it’s cool enough to handle, grab a table knife and run it all along the side of the cake, ensuring the cake isn’t stuck to the sides of the pan.

Turn the pan over onto a tray or cutting board, and the cake should fall right out.

Flip it again so the cake is right-side-up.

Then prepare the Chocolate Glaze.

Grab a mixing bowl and add some confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), some unsweetened cocoa powder, a bit of vanilla extract, and a bit of water.

Stir until you end up with a frosting-like chocolate glaze.

If the glaze is too thick to spread over the cake, add a bit more water (about half of a teaspoon at a time) until you reach the perfect consistency where it’s just thin enough to spread over the cake (without become too liquidy).

Use a small spatula to spread the chocolate glaze all over the top of the cake.

Then help yourself to a thick slice while it’s still warm!

The pumpkin cake is dense and moist, with a hint of cinnamon spice.

But it’s the rich, gooey chocolate glaze that really makes this cake an indulgent treat.

I like that this cake is sneaky in two ways:

1. It has that really enticing, festive, impressive look to it, but yet it’s actually so easy and painless to make.
2. It’s so sweet and indulgent tasting, you’d never guess this is a healthy dessert!

This recipe is, no question, my new favorite for fall!

Here is the complete, printable recipe: