Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe
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It’s time! Enjoy this gorgeous pumpkin bundt cake recipe as you cozy up by the fire and celebrate the changing of seasons. Everything you love about Fall can be summed up by this cake.
As Fall approaches, I get so excited thinking about all the flavors of Autumn gracing our table. I love baking with pumpkin spice; it’s such a warm and inviting flavor. We already have so many great pumpkin recipes on the site, like this Pumpkin Bread Pudding, our Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Recipe, or this Pumpkin Apple Bread with Streusel Topping.
The texture of this cake is moist, light and fluffy. It’s not so much pumpkin to be overwhelming, and the spices meld so beautifully that it tastes like Fall on a plate. Keep reading to get all the instructions, tips, and tricks to make the cake perfectly every time.
Why You’ll Love Our Recipe for Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Pure Comfort. The blend of warm spices and rich pumpkin will be the delight of everyone in your family. From the smell of our pumpkin spice bundt cake recipe as it bakes, to the first bite, it brings “home” to the table.
- So easy. You don’t have to get fancy or complicated to make an amazing homemade cake everyone loves.
- To-die-for texture. You won’t believe how light, fluffy, and moist this cake is. You can eat it without frosting it’s so good!
Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe
While you’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below, I wanted to highlight a few important ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour. Bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Combining these two leavening agents helps create the perfect height and texture.
- Spices. Ground Cinnamon, Allspice, Nutmeg, Ground Ginger, Salt, Ground Cloves
- Light Brown Sugar. You can use dark brown sugar if you want.
- Salted Butter. We use real full-fat butter which makes a soft and tender crumb. You want the butter to be at room temperature meaning that when pressed with your finger it leaves a dent, not melted or runny. If you use unsalted butter, you’ll want to add 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree. Do not confuse this with pumpkin pie filling.
- Vanilla Extract. Pure extract if you’ve got it.
- Milk. Whole milk is recommended for the fat content which will produce a fluffy super moist cake.
Ingredients for the Glaze
- Powdered Sugar.
- Milk or Heavy Cream. Just enough liquid to make the glaze smooth.
- Vanilla Extract. Pure extract if you’ve got it.
How To Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Please note, that the printable recipe card has the full list of ingredients, quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.
Get everything ready for the perfect pumpkin bundt cake recipe.
Preheat your oven so that the cake cooks evenly and doesn’t get too done on the outside before the inside is ready. Butter your pan with a pastry brush or paper towel.
Mix dry ingredients.
Use a large mixing bowl to blend the flour, spices, baking powder, and baking soda using a wire whisk. Set that aside.
Mix the liquid ingredients.
Start by creaming the fat and sugar for the recipe. Then add eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla. Do not add the milk yet.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
Add the flour, about ⅓ of the mixture alternating with some of the milk. Mix well before adding more flour and milk. Do not overmix.
Fill the Pan and Bake your Pumpkin Bundt Cake. Cool.
Fill the pan with batter approximately 3/4 full. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick is inserted into the center of the cake and comes out with just a few crumbs.
Note: Cracking on the surface is normal. It’s where the moisture expanded within the cake.
Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. When the cake is almost cool, make the glaze.
Mix the Glaze Ingredients.
Just put the glaze ingredients into a bowl and stir together. You want the consistency to be thin enough to drizzle. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more cream. Once the cake is cool, drizzle it with the glaze.
Make sure the cake is completely cooled before you glaze it. Otherwise, it will just absorb the glaze.
You can glaze the cake while it’s sitting on the cooling rack or a serving plate. The glaze will drip from the cake if on a cooling rack. If you glaze it on a serving plate, the extra glaze will pool onto the serving plate. Who doesn’t want more glaze?
Let it sit for a few minutes before serving the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a bundt pan?
No, you don’t, but make sure you don’t overfill the pan more than 2⁄3 to 3⁄4 cup full. See my free printable pan conversion chart. If you’ve got too much batter, make cupcakes!
When can I tell that my entire cake is ready and done baking in the oven?
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 43 minutes. When I bake a bundt cake, I always check sooner. I checked at 30 minutes. The cake is cooked when the toothpick you insert in the middle comes back clean.
How To Store Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe
Best way to store Pumpkin Bundt Cake
The cake can be stored lightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. We prefer using a cake dome. It allows the right amount of air to the cake so it doesn’t get soggy or dry out too quickly.
Can I freeze Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake?
Yes. Freeze a whole cake or individual slices. Wrap the cake completely or store it in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw loosely covered at room temperature. You can reapply the glaze if it has been absorbed by the cake.
Tips for the perfect Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Do not over-mix the cake batter when you blend wet and dry ingredients. You want to stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients have disappeared.
- Place a sheet pan under the bundt cake pan in your oven to make removing the pan super easy.
- Turning the cake halfway through the baking time will ensure an even bake all the way around.
- Don’t over bake. Doing so will cause your cake to become dry and dense.
Variations
- You can choose to frost or make a glaze. For variety, I recommend the amazing glaze we made here or a cream cheese frosting as I did with our Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe, a cream cheese glaze that we used with our Pumpkin Donuts, or this amazing Caramel Icing recipe. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
- If you want to simplify, you could dust it with a little powdered sugar as I did with our Kentucky Butter Cake.
- Make it spicy: If you like Fall flavors but don’t want them to hint at pepper, omit the ground cloves.
- Make it kid-friendly: omit the ground cloves and ginger. The cinnamon will shine through, and the allspice will bring up the flavors to make it a comfort food cake for many occasions. Speaking of the kiddos, add chocolate chips!
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Turn the cake out onto a beautiful cake platter for serving and presenting this special Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe to guests as a beautiful Fall dessert, a special event, or a holiday gathering.
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I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup salted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1¼ cups canned pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk whole milk recommended
Glaze
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp milk or heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Butter the inside of a bundt cake pan (I used a 10 cup bundt pan).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, allspice, ground nutmeg, ginger, salt, and ground cloves. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, with a hand mixer, combine butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Mix on medium speed until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each.
- Add the canned pumpkin puree and the vanilla extract. Mix until the mixture is all combined.
- Add the flour, about ⅓ of the mixture alternating with the milk. Mix well until adding more flour.
- *NOTE* When adding the flour, you can still use your hand mixer or use a mixing spoon, or your danish dough whisk.
- Once all the ingredients have been incorporated stop mixing. As soon as you don’t have any more dry flour stop mixing and pour the mixture into your prepared bundt cake pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 43 minutes. The cooking time is 40 minutes, but whenever I bake a bundt cake I always check sooner. I checked at 30 minutes. The cake is baked when the toothpick you insert in the middle comes back clean or with just a few crumbs.
- Let the cake cool for 3 to 4 minutes in the pan.
- Gently release the side of the cake from the pan and invert the pan on a cooling rack.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting it.
Glaze
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze.
- Mix all the ingredients into a bowl until combined.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cake.
- Allow a few minutes for the glaze to set.
Notes
- Texture & Flavors: Moist, fluffy, airy. Not overly pumpkin flavor and all the spices blend well together to make the cake taste like Fall
- You can choose to make a glaze or you can also make a cream cheese buttercream.
- The cake is very light and moist, you can eat it as is, without glaze or frosting.
- It is excellent served with a glass of milk, coffee, or tea.
- Make it kid-friendly: omit the ground cloves and ginger. the cake will be cinnamon and the allspice will bring up the flavors to make it a comfort food cake for many occasions. Add sprinkles!
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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Julie- perfect timing!
I just bought buttermilk for another recipe and the store only had a HUGE carton. I am not a fan of pouring myself a tall glass of buttermilk so this cake is a perfect rescue! Thank you!
Your cake looks so moist and delicious- can’t wait to get baking!
Michelle
Thank you Michelle! I’ve never been one to drink buttermilk either but sure love what it does to a cake.
This is gorgeous! And who doesn’t love all things pumpkin this time of year! Looking forward to trying your recipe
Thank you Angela! I guess pumpkin is our consolation for giving up summer right?
Ok, Miss Fancypants – or Fancypan!! lol!! Seriously you are so right about Bundts. Why the always seem to serve so many is beyond me, they’re like magic. Beautiful post and you can see just how moist it is!
Happy FF!!
Mollie
Thank you Mollie! I am usually a pie person over a cake, but this is one delicious cake. Thank you so much for hosting FF this week!
Hey Julie! This is one of those must have, must make, must do this Right Now, kind of recipes! Fall baking here we come! I am starting with your recipe! Thanks so much for kicking off my baking season! 😀
Ha! Thank you so much, Julianna! Please let me know what you think!
What a gorgeous fall cake! I want a piece right now!
Thank you, Colleen! I wish we had virtual sharing. I’d love to share!
I can’t believe it’s Fall already because it doesn’t feel like it here in Ontario, but I’m on the same page as you. I’m loving the all the warm and cozy spices that Fall brings. Your pumpkin Spice cake is perfect to welcome in the new season – yum!
Thank you Lily! It was in the 90’s this week and even though I don’t like the cold, I’m done with those temps! We were just in Colorado and their leaves are starting to change. They’re ahead of us. Have a wonderful weekend!
I need to make this – my family loves all things pumpkin! YUM
Thank you Heather! We loved it!
I’m also bummed about summer being over – I never feel like I ate enough peaches to properly celebrate the season! But I love fall so I’m excited about that…especially because it brings with it treats like these! This cake looks delicious, and your styling is gorgeous as well!
Thank you Mara! I’m with you, I just hate the produce kicking up it’s heels too. The peaches right now are amazing but I thin that’s only going to last a short time. Enjoy your weekend!
This cake is gorgeous and I’m sure it tastes amazing!
Thank you Lisa! There has to be something redeeming about the thought of summer ending and that must be pumpkin?
This reminds me so much of the US. Fall is special there.
You are so right Nadia! It’s the only consolation for losing summer I think.
you had me at “cinnamon cream cheese frosting!”
Thank you Justine! Happy Friday!
I am in love with this cake Julie!
Spicy and aromatic..must smell like heaven..percent t for fall!
Thank you Sonal! I love the pumpkin and spice flavors this time of year!
This looks delicious! So perfect for fall! It’d be great at a Thanksgiving day spread.
Thank you Debi! My eyes are already thinking Holidays too!
I welcome fall and all the flavors which you have captured in this beautiful cake recipe! Pass a plate with a big ole hunk!
Thank you Patty! I sure wish there was virtual sharing! Of course I’d be a whole lot chunkier!
That is one fabulous looking cake! Would you believe that I don’t own a bundt pan! Clearly I need to change that!
Thank you, Michelle! I had a pan that was a pain in my backside because everything stuck to it. My mother-in-law gave me an old one and it works like a charm.
Ahhh the sounds and scents of Autumn. You’ve captured it beautifully in this pumpkin spice cake, the buttermilk had to have added extra moistness to the cake. Lovely warm images and ever so tempting Julie.
Thank you Loretta! I am usually a pie person over cake but I really like the spice flavors in cake and other bakery treats.
Yummy! I love pumpkin everything 🙂 Love buttermilk in spiced cakes and sweet treats.
Thank you Sarah! I’m with you and love these fall flavors.
Bundt cakes always make me feel fancy!! 😀 This is the perfect cake for the changing season – love all the spices you added + the addition of buttermilk. This will have to go on my list of recipes to make this fall.
Thank you so much Jasmine! It always amazes me how our appetites and cravings change with the seasons and the weather.
I love pumpkin and your cake looks so fancy, yummy and perfect for fall!
Thank you so much Sandhya!
This sounds like a great combination. I say it’s what’s for breakfast! 😉
Hahaha! I like your style Patti!
You are so right, bundt cakes just scream fancy. Love this cake, it looks moist and delicious. I love the warm spicing that comes with Fall and winter baking and of course pumpkin and apples which go so well with them.
Julie, This looks so delicious! Love the photography, and the recipe! Love pumpkin spice season! 🙂
Thank you so much, Peter! I really appreciate your kind comments. This cake is a keeper, and I’m with you loving pumpkin spice season!
Can I just come live next door? I love pumpkin and your bundt cake looks so moist and delicious! AND cream cheese icing? Oh man.
I wish you would move next door Ai! We would have a whole lot of fun sampling each others dishes! This cake was definitely a hit, and so east too. Thank you Ai and have a great evening! (maybe it’s morning there?)
It’s getting to be that time of year again Julie! I too am craving alllll the Fall goodies, like this wonderful cake you’ve made. It looks delicious, good job 🙂
Thank you Jess! I hope you get a little fall in beautiful California!
Julie, your cake looks a-ma-zing! Soft and moist -just the way I like it, and the icing is so tempting! 🙂
Thank you Ana! Isn’t it funny how our cravings change with the seasons? Does yours even though it’s warm there most the time? Enjoy your evening my friend!