Indulge in fall’s warm, cozy flavors with our Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe. This sensational pound cake is the ultimate autumn comfort food, with its delightful blend of aromatic spices that dance on your taste buds. With each bite, you’ll savor the tender and moist crumb of this bundt cake, which practically melts in your mouth. Whether you’re baking it for a special occasion or just craving a taste of fall, this pumpkin pound cake recipe will quickly become a seasonal favorite.
Fall is not my favorite season, but it is one of my favorite baking times of the year because of all the wonderful fall desserts and flavors. This Pumpkin Bundt Cake is one of those wonderful fall dessert recipes. The beauty of it is in its simplicity. The quality of the ingredients shine through.
What truly elevates this pumpkin pound cake is the irresistible brown butter glaze that cascades down its sides. It’s a symphony of nutty, caramelized flavors that take this cake from delicious to extraordinary. So, gather your ingredients, and let’s embark on a pumpkin-spiced adventure in the kitchen! If you love brown butter as a flavor, make sure to check out this Kentucky Brown Butter Cake as well!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- All the Feels of Fall. From the pumpkin puree to the blend of cinnamon that infuses every bite of this pumpkin bundt cake it simply tastes like what fall would taste like! It’s warming and comforting which is what everyone craves when those temperatures start to dip!
- Beautiful Color and Texture. The pumpkin puree gives the pound cake a lovely yellow-orange color that looks lovely when it’s sliced and served up on the plate.
- Moist Texture. Each bite of my pumpkin bundt cake is light, tender, and definitely moist! I’ve perfected my pound cake formula over the years to ensure it turns out just how you want a pound cake to be!
- Dessert Table Centerpiece. It’s a stunning cake, that’s actually relatively simple. The brown butter glaze takes it from an ordinary pumpkin cake to something spectacular!
- Easier to Make Than You Think. To a novice baker, a pound cake looks pretty difficult to tackle. I can assure anyone who is new to baking that this pumpkin pound cake is super simple to make and the pound cake glaze is even easier.
Ingredients to Make This Pumpkin Pound Cake Recipe
These are the ingredients that truly help to make the Best Pumpkin Cake!
- Butter: Unsalted is key to controlling the salt in the recipe and it adds richness and flavor!
- Eggs: They are very important to the structure of the cake! The egg whites stiffen the cake bringing it all together. They are like building blocks. The egg yolks are wonderful for moistness and creating a tender crumb.
- Flour: I used all-purpose since it is already a very tender cake.
- Sour Cream: This provides so much richness, flavor, and moistness!
- Pumpkin: The key ingredient to make this the most incredible pumpkin cake. I highly recommend sticking with canned pumpkin. You will find it lends more consistency in baking.
- Cinnamon: This warming spice is the best flavor to pair with pumpkin!
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and tenderness to the bundt cake while powdered sugar creates a silky smooth glaze.
- Vanilla extract: The best vanilla flavor comes from using pure vanilla extract.
- Salt: The most overlooked ingredient when it comes to baking but it’s essential for pulling all the flavors together.
- Milk: Just a bit to thin out the glaze so it’s perfectly pourable!
Be sure to check the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities of each.
How to Make This Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe
This cake is easy to make and perfect for any level baker! Here’s an overview of the main steps along with photos to help you visualize the process. More details are in the recipe card so be sure to take a look.
Mix the Pumpkin Cake Batter
- Cream together the butter, sugar, and salt on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Note this will take about 5 minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time. Mix well after each adding each one.
- Slow the mixer to the lowest speed and add in the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Once mixed together add in the sour cream, pumpkin, and vanilla extract.
- Mix just until the mixture comes together.
PRO TIP: Once you add the flour, it’s CRUCIAL to avoid overmixing. Mix just until everything is combined and keep your mixer on low speed.
Prep and Bake the bundt Cake
- Pour the cake batter into a prepared bundt pan.
- Spread it out so it’s evenly in the pan.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but mostly clean.
- Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan and then invert it onto a cooling rack and cool until room temperature.
Mix and Add the Brown Butter Glaze
- Whisk together the melted butter, confectioner’s sugar, and milk.
- Drizzle the glaze over your completely cooled cake.
Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Spice bundt Cake
I’ve been making pound cakes for almost as long as I’ve been on this earth. I’ve made countless cakes and I won’t lie and say that they’ve all come out perfectly. Baking mistakes are normal but it’s my job to repeat a recipe until there are no more mistakes to be made.
Here are a few tips that serve as the by-product of my occasional baking neglect. Don’t make the same mistakes I did y’all.
- Prep Before You Start. It may seem obvious but you’re more likely to make a mistake if you haven’t fully prepared. Read your recipe thoroughly, pre-measure your ingredients, and assemble them in the order they are needed. Set yourself up for success from the jump and the entire process will go more smoothly.
- Bring Your Ingredients to Room Temperature. Allowing all your ingredients to come to the same temperature evens the playing field. This way during the baking process, all your ingredients will heat at the same rate and make for a bundt cake with maximum volume.
- Don’t Overbeat Your Mixture. Add in your eggs one at a time, beating only until the yellow disappears. Overbeating eggs may create a fragile crust that crumbles and separates from the cakes as it cools.
- Fully Cool Your Cake. This makes sure the glaze stays on the cake and pours to create a lovely drizzle over the cake. If the cake is warm the glaze may melt and drip right off!
- Easy Cleanup. Place a baking sheet underneath the wire rack with your cake on top so that as you pour the glaze it drips into the pan. This makes cleanup a breeze afterward and also ensures the glaze doesn’t pool around the base of the cake.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- More Spice. I love the simple, subtle flavor of cinnamon with pumpkin but other fall spices work too! Add a pinch of nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon or for even more complex flavors swap it for a pumpkin spice blend.
- Add Some Nuts. Chopped pecans or walnuts go great with the flavors of this cake. Make sure to chop them up into small pieces and then lightly sprinkle them over the top of the glaze right after adding it or you can also mix them into the cake batter right at the end.
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake: Stir in your favorite chocolate chips right at the end of mixing. Chocolate and pumpkin actually make a great pair and work great as a variation for this cake.
- Skip the Glaze. While I think the glaze adds something truly special to this pumpkin cake, you can certainly leave it off. The cake will still taste delicious.
- Add Some Caramel. Instead of the brown butter glaze drizzle your pumpkin cake with a caramel sauce. You can also sprinkle some chopped pecans over the top of the caramel sauce.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Great For Thanksgiving. Serve up this pound cake at the end of your Thanksgiving holiday dinner after enjoying loads of roasted turkey with turkey gravy, seafood stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and cranberry sauce.
- Serving a Crowd? Create a dessert table with this pound cake at the center and then surrounded by other favorites such as apple pie bars, chocolate bourbon pecan pie, and pumpkin cupcakes. I like to mix it up with different styles of desserts, flavors, and spins on the classics.
- Drinks to Serve with Cake. Enjoy your favorite coffee drink, French hot chocolate, eggnog, or apple cider.
- More Pumpkin Desserts! From a pumpkin pie to some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin cheesecake bars, the possibilities are endless!
How to Store Pumpkin Pound Cake
Store your pumpkin pound cake well-wrapped at room temperature in a cool, dry place.
How long will a pumpkin bundt cake last?
If it’s in a well-sealed container or wrapped up tightly it will last at room temperature for about a week.
Can I freeze pumpkin spice cake?
Yes, you can! If your baking it to get ahead of your holiday baking I recommend freezing it without the glaze. Wrap it up in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to three months. If you’re freezing leftovers, wrap up the remaining section of cake or individual slices in plastic and store it inside a freezer bag or container for up to three months.
If you freeze the whole cake, allow it to thaw on the counter overnight and then you can add the glaze the next day. For individual pieces, they will likely thaw out in an hour or so on the counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! However, I find that fresh pumpkin puree often has more moisture than canned which is why I prefer to rely on using canned especially in baking. If you decide to go ahead with using pumpkin puree make sure you allow it plenty of time to drain and even squeeze it in a piece of cheesecloth or a clean tea towel to remove the excess liquid.
Use a non-stick baking spray or shortening to coat the inside of the Bundt pan. Make sure to cover every nook and cranny of the pan’s intricate design. Then sprinkle it lightly with flour before adding your cake batter. Inverting a slightly cooled cake over a wire rack allows gravity to help remove it from the pan without breaking. If it seems to be a bit resistant, allow it some time to keep cooling.
During preparation make sure you don’t over-mix the batter and don’t over-bake your cake. Then when it’s cooled store it in a container or wrapped up tightly to prevent any air from drying it out.
This pumpkin pound cake is simple yet its flavor is amazing. The pumpkin shines through, and the spices really help to bring out the flavor even more.
Tender and moist, this cake melts in your mouth. And when you top it with my brown butter glaze, you will be humming until the cows come home! So get out that bundt pan and get to work on this pumpkin pound cake right away…just in time for Thanksgiving!! The results are well worth it.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
If you like this pumpkin pound cake, you will really get a kick out of these other pumpkin dessert recipes:
- Pumpkin Cider Doughnuts
- Caramel Pumpkin Lava Cake
- Pumpkin Fritters
- Pumpkin S’mores Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Turtle Cake
- Butterfinger Pumpkin Stuffed Donuts
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
Pumpkin Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
For the Browned Butter Glaze:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and browned until tiny specs form
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Pound Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your 10 cup bundt pan with shortening and flour or non-stick baking spray.
- In your mixer bowl, cream together butter, sugar and salt on high speed until light and fluffy for 5 minutes.
- Next add in eggs, one at a time, and mix until well incorporated.
- Slow mixer to lowest speed and carefully add in flour, cinnamon and baking powder then add in sour cream, pumpkin and extract and cream until just combined.
- Pour cake batter into bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but mostly clean.
- Cool cake for 10 minutes then invert cake onto cooling rack and cool until room temperature.
For the Brown Butter Glaze:
- Whisk together melted butter, confectioner’s sugar and milk.
- Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and serve.
Notes
- Prep Before You Start. It may seem obvious but you’re more likely to make a mistake if you haven’t fully prepared. Read your recipe thoroughly, pre-measure your ingredients, and assemble them in the order they are needed. Set yourself up for success from the jump and the entire process will go more smoothly.
- Bring Your Ingredients to Room Temperature. Allowing all your ingredients to come to the same temperature evens the playing field. This way during the baking process, all your ingredients will heat at the same rate and make for a pound cake with maximum volume.
- Don’t Overbeat Your Mixture. Add in your eggs one at a time, beating only until the yellow disappears. Overbeating eggs may create a fragile crust that crumbles and separates from the cakes as it cools.
- Fully Cool Your Cake. This makes sure the glaze stays on the cake and pours to create a lovely drizzle over the cake. If the cake is warm the glaze may melt and drip right off!
- Easy Cleanup. Place a baking sheet underneath the wire rack with your cake on top so that as you pour the glaze it drips into the pan. This makes cleanup a breeze afterward and also ensures the glaze doesn’t pool around the base of the cake.
pinterest 
facebook 
twitter 
email 
Thank you Jocelyn! Oh my goodness. This cake is so good and moist. My husband is the pumpkin lover. However, I enjoyed it too. He said this cake is definitely a keeper. I followed this recipe almost to the T except for 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. I used 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. The brown butter glaze was great as well. I will be adding this desert to my Thanksgiving Dinner desert table. I wish I could add a picture .
You can share it on Instagram and tag me! I would love to see it!
I made this twice. The first cake I thought needed more pumpkin. Not much pumpkin flavor. The second cake I added twice the amount of pumpkin(1 1/2 cups of pumpkin.). I also added extra cinnamon (1 more teaspoon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon clove.). It was delicious! Super moist and tasted like pumpkin spice. Happy Fall Y’all!
Thanks for the feedback, Wendy!
Another amazing recipe! This cake is so delicious and flavorful, I’ll be making it all season long!
This might be my new favorite cake for fall! It turned out great, was moist, dense, and perfectly sweet. It also made my kitchen smell amazing!
Even though it’s still 95 degrees here in Texas, I’ve been baking my way through pumpkin EVERYTHING. Thanks for this recipe! I love bundt cakes.
You’re so welcome!!
This is a perfect addition to my fall party of Thanksgiving spread. Excited to try this.
Enjoyed this for dessert last night and it was a sweet success! Turned out light, fluffy and delicious; the perfect fall dessert, indeed!