Recently, I said that one of my favorite seasonal recipes is molasses cookies.  The same could be said about this fabulous dessert.  I have friends who wait for it every year.  Delani (mentioned in the stuffed mushroom post) actually made a special trip to my house after work yesterday for her share of the goodies. 

Special Notice!!!  Delani is now engaged to Christian who was our stuffed mushroom test subject.  Sooooo exciting!  I'm absolutely beside myself!  Do the abundance of exclamation points prove my happiness? Well...here's some more for you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm really happy.

Anyhow...back to cake.
This makes a ton of cake.  Lots to share.  It calls for a tube pan, but I use my spring form pan with the hole in the center.  That way, I have a regular sized cake plus enough for a loaf pan, or as I did yesterday, a dozen cupcakes.  I like the idea of making them look like muffins.  Makes it more healthy, right?  It's the Costco 'muffin' theory I suppose.  I may or may not have had one for breakfast.  It can't be proved either way. 

I used mini chocolate chips this time.  For best results, warm up your piece of cake in the microwave for about 10 seconds.  It'll melt the chocolate a little and make it extra tasty!

I've not ever made the molasses glaze or whipped cream, though I have served it with regular whipped cream.

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cake

Non-stick spray for baking

3 cups flour

2¼ cups granulated sugar

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons soda

½ teaspoon salt

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate,

chopped into chunks OR 1 ½ cups chocolate chips

15 ounce can pumpkin

¾ cup butter melted

6 eggs, slightly beaten

1 recipe Molasses Glaze

1 recipe Molasses Whipped Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  With the nonstick spray for baking, generously coat a 10-inch tube pan or fluted tube pan.  Set aside.  In a small bowl set aside ½ cup of the flour.  In a large bowl combine remaining flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, soda and salt.  To the reserved ½ cup of flour add the chocolate chunks and stir to coat.  In another bowl combine pumpkin, melted butter and eggs.  Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture; stir until combined.  Add chocolate mixture.  Stir until combined.  Pour into tube pan.  Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.  Remove cake from pan and cool for 30 minutes.  Brush with Molasses Glaze; cool.  Serve with Molasses Whipped Cream.

Molasses Glaze:  In a small saucepan melt ¼ cup butter; stir in 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup dark-color corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons molasses.  Bring to simmer.  Cook, uncovered, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Cool 5 minutes; spoon over cake.

Molasses Whipped Cream:  In a chilled mixing bowl combine 1 cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 2 to 3 teaspoons molasses.  Beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Spoon into serving bowl.  Sprinkle lightly with pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or ground cinnamon.  Pass with the cake.