Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and set aside. This ensures clean, even layers for stacking.
Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sifting helps keep the batter aerated and prevents clumps.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the granulated and brown sugars until the mixture is pale and thick, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree, melted butter, vanilla, and cooled coffee until smooth.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Stir in the melted chocolate until the batter looks glossy and uniform.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 22–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the filling: beat the cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy. If you like a pumpkin touch in the filling, fold in a couple tablespoons of pumpkin puree to taste. Chill while the cakes cool completely and the ganache is prepared.
Make the ganache: heat the heavy cream just to a simmer, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes, then whisk until glossy and smooth. If it’s too thick, warm very briefly over a water bath and whisk again.
Assemble: place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread a generous layer of the pumpkin-cream cheese filling, top with the second cake layer, and pour the warm ganache over the top. Smooth the sides lightly if you prefer a sleek finish.
Chill the torte for 20–30 minutes to set the ganache before slicing. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a light dusting of cocoa, if desired.
Notes
A velvety chocolate pumpkin torte with a pumpkin-spice center and glossy ganache, layered into two rich cakes and finished with optional whipped cream and cocoa dust.
