Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Ingredients Used

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Pumpkin Puree: I’ve always got a couple cans of pumpkin puree in my pantry! If you want to make everything from scratch for this bundt cake recipe, try this homemade pumpkin puree recipe! It adds an even stronger fall flavor when pumpkins are in season.
• Sugar: I love the extra richness you get with brown sugar, and I also add granulated sugar. The brown sugar just adds an extra moistness and caramelization to the crust, too.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use your favorite blend or make your own at home with just cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Eggs: Much like your butter and cream cheese, let the eggs come to room temperature before whipping up your batter. This helps keep the batter from seizing. 
• Flour: There’s no cake without flour! I use basic all-purpose flour for most of my baking. It’s perfectly fluffy with a little baking soda, too.
• Oil: I use a whole cup of oil and a little sour cream to keep this cake moist. You can also use applesauce for the same moistness with a fun fall kick!
• Bundt Pan: You want a sturdy bundt pan for even baking. Don’t forget to grease every nook and cranny! I use a light dusting of flour, too, to make sure my cakes don’t stick. 
• Cream Cheese Frosting: You only need 5 pantry staples to make this yummy icing! Make sure the cream cheese and butter are both softened before mixing with the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.

How to Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Follow these steps for the best pumpkin bundt cake:

1. First, grease and flour your bundt pan. Make sure to get every corner so the cake doesn’t stick!
2. Then, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and oil with an electric mixer until it gets a little fluffy.
3. Next, add the room temperature eggs, one at a time, and mix completely for each egg. Mix in the vanilla extract, too.
4. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together. Then, add it to your wet ingredients in batches, adding the pumpkin puree and sour cream slowly between flour mixture additions. Don’t skip this step!
5. Now, add the batter to your greased bundt pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the pumpkin bundt cake cool completely on a wire rack before frosting!
6. Use a stand mixer to make the cream cheese frosting. First, beat the softened cream cheese and butter. Then, add the powdered sugar in batches to avoid the sugar storm! Add vanilla extract and milk until it’s the perfect consistency. You can always add more milk to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken your cream cheese frosting.

Tips and Tricks

Whether you’re a brand new baker or experienced with bundt cakes, these tips and tricks will help you get a perfect pumpkin cake every time:

• This cake is quite moist, but you can use ¾ cup of applesauce and just ¼ cup of oil, too.
• I prefer Philadelphia cream cheese for the best frosting texture. If you can’t find this brand, use any brand that is full fat.
• To make sure that the cake does not stick in the pan, I grease it with oil and lightly flour it. Too much flour will ruin the look of the cake, so tap out any excess before filling it with batter.
• Only frost and slice after the cake has cooled completely. Otherwise, the cake will absorb the icing as it cools. You can easily make this cake the night before you need it and frost it right before guests arrive.
• Add a little crunch with chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.

Can I Use Pumpkin Pie Filling Instead of Pumpkin Puree?

When it comes to canned pumpkin, not all cans are created equal.

Ideally, canned pumpkin puree is simply pumpkin pulp with no added flavors or sugars. Pumpkin pie filling, however, is seasoned and sweetened to make an easy pumpkin pie without the mixing.

Since pie filling is pre-sweetened, I don’t recommend using it for this cake. It could also have ingredients that make your pumpkin bundt fall — no one wants a deflated cake!

Got a pumpkin? Make your own pumpkin puree at home with just 2 ingredients!

How to Keep a Bundt Cake Moist

I love the simplicity of a good bundt cake, but they’re always much bigger than they look! You can get up to 16 servings out of just 1 bundt cake.

The icing will help keep some moisture in your leftover bundt cake. You can always add more frosting, too!

Bundt cakes can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. I like to keep mine tightly wrapped in the fridge. Let it warm up a little on the counter before serving.