I love this cake because it combines the excellent taste of chocolate and pumpkin. What makes it even more delicious is the wonderful spices added to the batter. This cake not only tastes great but smells like spiced hot chocolate.  I love a pretty presentation for my cooking and baking and by adding the mini chocolate chips and powdered sugar not only does that enhance the taste but also adds to the visual display. You can do more to this cake to dress it up.  I sometimes decorate the cake with chocolate-dipped strawberries or dried apricots, both are very easy to do. I just place the fruit around the base of the cake on the cake dish. This is very nice for a buffet table. As I like to say, just use your imagination and try different ideas. Remember no fear; just enjoy. I’ve included the recipe for chocolate dipped fruit.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Coffee Cake

3 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 can (29 oz) solid pumpkin

3 squares (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate melted, cooled

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Topping

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

powdered sugar for dusting

Pre-heat over to 350 F. Grease 10 ” tube pan.  In a large bowl combine sugar and oil.  Add eggs; mix well. Stir in pumpkin, chocolate, and vanilla, mix well.  Sift together the dry ingredients and stir into pumpkin mixture until just blended. Add chocolate chips. Pour cake batter into prepared tube pan. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top and bake for 1 hour and 30-40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. (use the long bamboo skewers). Cool for 1 hour in pan before removing. Dust top of the cake with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!