• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads (Yeast & Quick Breads)
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Contact/Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ร—
    Home ยป Recipes ยป Fall Recipes

    Pumpkin Bundt Cake

    October 17, 2022 By Sam 18 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    collage of pumpkin bundt cake, top image of slice of cake on white plate, bottom image of full bunt cake close up

    My Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe features a moist, spiced pumpkin cake topped with a thick cream cheese glaze. It’s simple to make (just 25 minutes of prep!) and perfect for fall! Recipe includes a how-to video!

    Slice of pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese glaze on a plate with a fork taking one bite.

    An Impressive Pumpkin Cake

    My pumpkin bundt cake has all the cozy seasonal flavors of fall wrapped into a moist, dense bundt cake. It’s buttery, vibrantly spiced, and crowned with a stunning, thick cream cheese glaze. The dense crumb (similar to my other bundt cake or pound cake) means this cake is sturdy, but it still melts in your mouth. It’s perfection!

    Once cooled, I love topping this cake with a thick cream cheese glaze (it’s essentially a melted version of my cream cheese frosting), but I do provide some alternative toppings in the FAQ section below if you’re not a fan of cream cheese.

    If bundt cakes are new to you, definitely check out the video below where I show you exactly how I prepare my pan so my cake slides out perfectly. A bundt cake that sticks will totally ruin your day 🙁

    Save this recipe for your next harvest party, halloween soiree, or add it to your Thanksgiving dessert table!

    What You Need

    Overhead view of ingredients including butter, pumpkin, eggs, spices, and more.

    There’s quite a few ingredients up there, so I’ll highlight the important ones:

    • Spices. The spices used in this recipe are the same spices that go into my pumpkin spice; if you don’t happen to have all of these spices but do have pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute 1 Tbsp + ¾ teaspoon of that instead.
    • Unsalted butter. By creaming the spices with the butter and sugar (rather than adding later with the flour), we will bring out their flavors a bit more.
    • Eggs. Add these one at a time and stir really well after each addition.
    • Pumpkin. Make sure you grab 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. They are sold right next to each other in the store and look so similar!
    • Sour Cream. Sour cream (or full-fat plain greek yogurt) encourages our cake to be tender, moist, and perfectly dense. It’s also the secret ingredient in my pumpkin coffee cake.

    SAM’S TIP: To keep the cake from being too heavy and dense (which is possible with a cake that uses a whole can of pumpkin plus a cup of full-fat sour cream) we put a lot of work into creaming and aerating the batter. The butter and sugar (and spices) must be well-creamed until light and fluffy, and we’ll also thoroughly beat the batter after each egg addition. Don’t skimp out on either step!

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake

    Collage of four photos showing pumpkin cake batter being prepared in a glass mixing bowl
    1. Cream together the butter, sugar, and spices until light and fluffy.
    2. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
    3. Stir in the pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla.
    4. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the wet ingredients.
    Collage of four photos showing cake batter being poured into a bundt, baked, and topped with a cream cheese glaze.
    1. Spread the batter into a greased and floured pan (smooth the surface after adding it) and bake for 60 minutes.
    2. Test for doneness with a wooden skewer, then let cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
    3. Stir together cream cheese and butter, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
    4. Microwave the glaze until pourable and drizzle over the cooled cake.

    SAM’S TIP: Be gentle but thorough when combining your wet and dry ingredients; you want the batter to be uniform, but you don’t want to over-mix it! An over-mixed batter will lead to an overly dense and dry pumpkin bundt cake.

    Overhead view of a bundt cake drizzled with white glaze.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Does pumpkin bundt cake need to be refrigerated?

    I feel comfortable leaving mine at room temperature for a few days, but if you don’t, you can refrigerate yours in an airtight container. The fridge does dry out cakes, so keep that in mind if you do this.

    Can I make this with a mini bundt pan?

    Yes! I haven’t personally baked this recipe in a mini bundt pan (and all the sizes vary so much), so I can’t recommend baking times though. If you try this, please let me know how they turn out!

    Do I have to add the glaze?

    This cake is great with or without the glaze. I personally think the cream cheese glaze complements the pumpkin flavors beautifully, but if you don’t care for cream cheese or need to store the cake a while and don’t feel comfortable leaving it out, you can substitute my vanilla glaze instead. A dusting of powdered sugar would be a pretty topping if you want to go glaze-less, or add chocolate ganache for an incredible and slightly unexpected pumpkin/chocolate flavor collision!

    Slice of bundt cake topped with a thick white glaze standing up on a white plate.

    If you’re looking for an equally moist but less dense pumpkin cake, try my pumpkin layer cake!

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    Slice of pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese glaze on a plate with a fork taking one bite.

    Pumpkin Bundt Cake

    My pumpkin bundt cake recipe features a moist, spiced pumpkin cake topped with a thick cream cheese glaze. It's simple to make (just 25 minutes of prep!) and perfect for fall!
    Recipe includes a how-to video!
    5 from 16 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 14 servings
    Calories: 456kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    Pumpkin Bundt Cake

    • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
    • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
    • 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon allspice
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 4 large eggs room temperature preferred
    • 15 oz (425 g) canned pumpkin puree
    • 1 cup (226 g) sour cream
    • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon table salt

    Cream Cheese Glaze

    • 2 oz (56 g) cream cheese softened
    • 2 Tablespoons (28 g) butter salted or unsalted, softened
    • 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Recommended Equipment

    • 12 cup bundt pan
    • Mixing bowls
    • Electric mixer

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and thoroughly grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan (tap out excess flour). Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, and spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg) and use an electric mixer to cream together until light and fluffy and well-combined (about 2-3 minutes on high speed).
      1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • Add eggs, one at a time, stirring very well after each addition (about 30 seconds after each addition on high speed).
      4 large eggs
    • Stir in pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
      15 oz (425 g) canned pumpkin puree, 1 cup (226 g) sour cream, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
      3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon table salt
    • With mixer on low-speed or, stirring with a spatula, gradually stir dry ingredients into wet (I do this in 3-4 parts).
    • Pour batter into greased bundt pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
    • Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes then carefully invert onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

    Cream Cheese Glaze

    • In a microwave-safe bowl, stir together cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
      2 oz (56 g) cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons (28 g) butter
    • Gradually stir in powdered sugar until combined, then stir in vanilla extract.
      1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Transfer bowl to the microwave and microwave in 5-10 second intervals, stirring in-between, until mixture is melty and pourable.
    • Drizzle or pour over bundt cake. Allow glaze to firm before slicing and serving.

    Notes

    Storing

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 5408IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Related Recipes

    • pumpkin bread on cooling rack
      Pumpkin Bread
    • apple cake on white plate
      Apple Cake
    • Overhead image of sliced, iced cranberry bundt cake
      Cranberry Bundt Cake
    • Square of pumpkin coffee cake on silver plate. Drizzled with vanilla glaze.
      Pumpkin Coffee Cake
    « Dark Chocolate Mini Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
    Pumpkin Bars »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maria B Rugolo

      November 29, 2024 at 8:58 am

      5 stars
      I increased this recipe by 1/2 and portioned in two identical bundt pans. sandwiched them together with Sam’s delicious cream cheese frosting and made a pumpkin, pumpkin cake! Frosting it with swiss meringue buttercream. The cake is moist and delicious and stood up perfectly! so grateful for another “carefully tested, well researched, and perfected recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 30, 2024 at 7:59 am

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Maria! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Lori Plank

      October 30, 2024 at 9:27 pm

      How important is the allspice? Can it be omitted or substituted with something?

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 31, 2024 at 7:13 am

        Hi Lori! It’s a really big part of the flavor here.

        Reply
    3. Robin

      December 03, 2023 at 8:16 pm

      5 stars
      I had asked about baking your Pumpkin Bundt Cake with the Cream Cheese in it as is in your Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins. You asked me to let you know how it came out. It came out perfectly. It was delicious. My customer had me make her one as well. Her whole family loved it. I used the same amount of cream cheese in your muffin recipe. Thank you very much Sam.

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 03, 2023 at 8:57 pm

        That is so great to hear! Thank you so much for the feedback. I’m so glad it turned out and everyone enjoyed it. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Robin

      November 02, 2023 at 7:54 pm

      5 stars
      I made this cake for a church event but couldnโ€™t taste it. I know it was good from the face of the kid that won it. Is there anyway that a layer of cream cheese could be put in the middle of it? I bake out of my home and was asked if I could do that. I like your recipes. Theyโ€™ve never failed me. Tried and True. I know Iโ€™m putting you in the spot. I have confidence in you though. ๐Ÿ˜‰Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 03, 2023 at 3:54 pm

        Hi Robin! I’m so glad the kid got to enjoy it! I haven’t tried putting a cream cheese layer in the middle of it. You could try putting the cream cheese from my pumpkin cream cheese muffins in the middle, but without having tried it I can’t say for sure how it would go.

        Reply
        • Robin

          November 03, 2023 at 8:06 pm

          5 stars
          Iโ€™m going to try that then. Iโ€™ll let you know how it turns out. Thank you so much for answering my continuous questions. Iโ€™m going to buy you some butter very soon. Thanks again.

        • Sam

          November 05, 2023 at 9:46 pm

          I hope it turns out! ๐Ÿ™‚

        • Robin

          November 12, 2023 at 7:18 pm

          5 stars
          So, since I’m using this in a bundt cake do you think that the cream cheese filling in your pumpkin cream cheese muffins will be enough or do you think I should add about a half more of this cream cheese filling recipe?

        • Sam

          November 12, 2023 at 9:52 pm

          Honestly I am not sure. The muffin recipe makes 12 muffins and each one has a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese filling so I guess it depends on how much of a cream cheese layer you want in there. Since it’s relatively easy to whip up, you could try with just a single batch but if you need more make a second, but if you go that route you will want to soften 2 bricks of cream cheese in case the first batch isn’t enough. ๐Ÿ™‚

        • Robin

          November 13, 2023 at 3:39 pm

          5 stars
          Thanks Sam! I’ll do that!

    5. Pat Ellis

      October 23, 2023 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      I donโ€™t normally look for pumpkin recipes, but decided to try this for an October group gathering. So glad I did! The cake was moist, deliciously spiced, and a hit at the party. I came home without leftovers, so now Iโ€™m ready to make another closer to Thanksgiving. Your recipes are consistently the best!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 23, 2023 at 9:07 pm

        Thank you so much, Pat! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Tricia Cunningham

          October 27, 2024 at 8:37 pm

          5 stars
          I made your pumpkin cake this evening and it came out of the oven perfect. I wouldn’t change a single thing! It was wonderful and so fitting for a cool Fall evening. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful recipe!

    6. Mary Salyer

      January 14, 2023 at 9:30 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best recipe ever! I love pound cakes and this will now be one I make often. I made this twice over the holidays and everyone loved it.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 16, 2023 at 8:57 am

        So glad you love it, Mary! Thanks so much for commenting ๐Ÿ˜

        Reply
    5 from 16 votes (7 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Warm Weather Recipes

    mason jar of iced sweet tea with a lemon round garnish

    Sweet Tea

    Bowl of berry crisp topped with a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream.

    Berry Crisp

    Frozen peach bellini in a glass with a strawberry garnish.

    Frozen Peach Bellini

    Overhead view of an ice cream scoop resting in a container of homemade key lime pie ice cream.

    No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

    Overhead of two bowls of corn chowder

    Summer Corn Chowder

    Glasses of homemade raspberry lemonade garnished with fresh berries, lemon slices, and striped straws.

    Raspberry Lemonade

    More Spring Recipes

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    ยฉ 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.