Panic-buying six cans of pumpkin puree in September and watching them stare at me from the pantry shelf is exactly what led to this pumpkin bundt cake recipe. I am not the baker who weighs everything on a digital scale or sifts flour three times. I am the baker who once forgot to grease a pan and spent an hour crying over cake crumbs on the countertop.
This recipe became my safety net because oil, pumpkin, and brown sugar keep the cake soft even when my technique gets distracted. A heavy Bundt pan gives the cake an impressive shape, while a maple glaze finishes it without complicated decorating. Here is exactly how I do it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It uses the whole can. You avoid storing two tablespoons of leftover pumpkin until it grows fur.
- Two bowls, one whisk. Making an easy pumpkin bundt cake from scratch stays simple and manageable.
- Aggressively moist. Oil and pumpkin keep the cake soft for five days.
- It forgives mistakes. The pumpkin and oil help protect the cake from becoming a brick when you overmix slightly.
- It adapts easily. You can add chocolate chips, pecans, glaze, or powdered sugar.
Tools You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, I promise.
- bundt pan A 10 to 12-cup capacity is non-negotiable unless you want to clean burnt batter off the bottom of your oven.
- Two large mixing bowls. One bowl holds the dry ingredients, while the other holds the wet mixture.
- Sturdy whisk. The thick batter can bend a flimsy whisk.
- Cooling rack. The rack lets the cake cool evenly before you invert it.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour – Spoon it into the measuring cup, do not pack it down like brown sugar unless you want a dense doorstop.
- 2 teaspoons baking soda – Check the expiration date. I once used three-year-old baking soda and my cake was flatter than a pancake.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt – To balance the sugar.
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon – The backbone of any good fall bundt cake.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger – Adds that tiny little background kick.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves – A little goes a long way. Do not accidentally use a tablespoon.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg – Freshly grated if you are fancy, out of the plastic jar if you are me.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice – If you don’t have this, just skip it, I won’t tell the baking police.
- 1 cup vegetable oil – This is the secret to a moist pumpkin bundt cake. Do not swap it for butter, trust me.
- 4 large eggs – Room temperature if you have the patience, straight from the fridge if you are rushing (it will still be okay).
- 1 cup packed brown sugar – Light or dark, whatever is currently soft in your pantry.
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar – Yes, it needs both.
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree – Make absolutely sure it is pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, or everything will be ruined.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – Measure with your heart.
- 1 1/4 cups optional add-ins – Chocolate chips or chopped pecans. I vote chocolate chips.
- Optional toppings – Caramel, maple glaze, or powdered sugar.
How To Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Turn on some music, preheat the oven, and prepare for an arm workout.
- Preheat and grease: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and aggressively grease a 10–12-cup Bundt pan. If you think you greased it enough, do it one more time just to be safe—there is nothing sadder than half a cake stuck to the metal.
- Whisk the dry stuff: Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice together in a large bowl. If you hate measuring tiny spoons of spices, you can totally use two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead.
- Mix the wet stuff: Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. It will look like a weird, gloopy orange soup, which is exactly what you want.
- Combine it all: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a whisk to mix it. The batter will be incredibly thick, almost like pancake batter—if a few lumps survive, that is between you and the bowl, nobody else needs to know. Fold in your chocolate chips now if you are using them.
- Bake the cake: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55–70 minutes. This is a massive, heavy cake, so do not panic if it takes the full 70 minutes for a toothpick to come out clean.
- The crucial cool down: Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for exactly 2 hours. I once tried to flip a bundt cake after ten minutes because I was impatient, and it tore into three tragic pieces. Let it sit.
- Flip and dress: Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let it cool completely before adding any icing, otherwise your beautiful glaze will melt instantly and pool at the bottom.
♥ The Misfit Tips!
- Avoid the coconut oil trap. Coconut oil can solidify in a cold kitchen and create a dense batter.
- Grease every crevice. Baking spray with flour or shortening and flour gives the best release.
- Use the correct pan size. A smaller Bundt pan can overflow and create a difficult cleanup.
- Trust the cooling time. The cake needs two hours in the pan before you invert it.
- Try a glaze. A simple maple glaze turns this into a pumpkin bundt cake with glaze recipe worthy of a holiday table.
Make It Yours
- Add chocolate chips for a richer dessert.
- Fold chopped pecans into the batter for crunch.
- Replace the individual spices with pumpkin pie spice.
- Drizzle maple glaze over the cooled cake.
- You frost the cake with cream cheese frosting and refrigerate it.
Perfect Pairings
These go perfectly with unapologetic sweatpants and a cool autumn breeze.
- A huge mug of black coffee balances the sweetness.
- Salted caramel sauce turns a plain slice into a bakery-style dessert.
- Vanilla bean ice cream adds a cool, creamy contrast.
- A neighborhood potluck gives this fall bundt cake the attention it deserves.
How to Store
❤
- Fridge: Store the cake in an airtight container for up to five days.
- Freezer: Freeze the un-iced cake for up to three months, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil.
- Reheat: Microwave a plain slice for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Storage note: Cream cheese frosting requires refrigeration, while a plain glaze can stay at room temperature.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
This pumpkin bundt cake recipe proves that an impressive autumn cake can come together with two bowls, one sturdy whisk, and a well-greased Bundt pan. This moist pumpkin bundt cake uses vegetable oil, a full can of pumpkin, brown sugar, and warm spices to create a tender crumb that stays soft for days. Whether you finish it with maple glaze in this pumpkin bundt cake with glaze recipe or serve it as an easy pumpkin bundt cake from scratch with powdered sugar, this fall bundt cake deserves a permanent place on your dessert table.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 10–12-cup Bundt pan. (I like this one or this one.)
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts, if using. Batter is thick, and you’ll have around 5 cups total.
- Spoon/pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 55–70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with just a couple lightly moist crumbs. This is a large, heavy cake so don’t be alarmed if it takes a little longer in your oven.
- Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours in the pan set on a wire rack. Then invert the slightly cooled Bundt cake onto a wire rack or serving plate/cake stand.
- Allow to cool completely before drizzling with topping/icing and serving. On the pictured cake, I used the maple icing from these maple brown sugar cookies. I also sprinkled a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend on top of the icing before it set.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for a couple days and/or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.