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A blue and white baking dish filled with pumpkin chocolate chip cake sits on a wooden board, with a slice served on a plate, three small pumpkins, autumn leaves, forks, and a checked napkin nearby.

Moist Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Melissa Griffiths
Every bite of my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake delivers the perfect balance of seasonal spices and melty chocolate chips. The secret to its incredible moistness lies in the simple combination of butter and applesauce that keeps this cake fresh for days!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 24
Calories 193 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup melted butter
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • 1 ½ cups brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 can pumpkin puree ((15 ounces))
  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (ground)
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
  • pinch cloves (ground)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips ((we like milk chocolate chips in this recipe))

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
  • Grease a 9x13 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 ¼ cup of the chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the batter after it's in the pan, highly recommend because it makes the cake prettier). 
  • 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

Variations and Substitutions:
  • Replace butter with light oil (avocado or canola) - oil works well, though butter has better flavor
  • Swap butter for additional applesauce, or vice versa
  • Use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour
  • Add oatmeal by replacing ⅓ cup flour with ½ cup rolled oats
Adjustments:
  • Reduce sugar to 1 cup for a less sweet treat
  • Use any chocolate chip variety - milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate all work well
Baking Tips:
  • Safe to overbake if unsure - this cake won't dry out easily
Storage:
  • Room temperature: Cover tightly, store up to 3 days
  • Refrigerated: Store in airtight container up to 1 week

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 24 servingsCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 141mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 170IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
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