This bundt cake is a great fall bake with a moist crumb, thanks to the oil in the batter. With the unmistakable warmth of pumpkin spice, it's sweet, flavorful and just plain wonderful. The cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping, but it's also great on its own.
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A perfect pumpkin bundt cake? I think so
One of our most popular categories is bundt cakes, so it was about time I introduced you to this fabulous pumpkin-flavored version.
This is a recipe I've been making for years, and it's still in the top 3 when it comes to pumpkin recipes and cakes.
Maybe it fights for the first position with the pumpkin quick bread regarding flavor and texture, but I can't resist a good bundt cake.
Pumpkin baking is all about the spices, which are very adjustable in this recipe. Any combination of warm spices can be used. Maybe you don't like cloves like me, so you don't add them. A store-bought pumpkin pie spice mix is also a good option.
For a mini option, check out our small pumpkin bundt cakes.
- The texture: it's very moist and rises well, so the crumb is perfectly dense but soft.
- Easy to make: the fact that this pumpkin cake uses oil instead of butter makes for a much faster beating since there's no creaming involved and no waiting for the butter to be at room temperature.
- Make ahead: it keeps well at room temperature for 2-3 days and can be frozen for a month (best if without frosting), always well wrapped.
FAQ
Don't overbake it and keep it covered with a cake dome or plastic wrap. If the cake is in contact with air, it will dry out more quickly. Also, a good recipe with oil or sour cream tend to be moister than some recipes made with just butter.
Yes, you can and it's a great way of making it ahead. It lasts for a month. it Let it cool, cover in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Label it with name and date.
Ingredient list
- Pumpkin purée: use homemade pumpkin puree or buy canned pumpkin puree. Don't use pumpkin pie filling, which is a different product.
- Vegetable oil: sunflower oil is our first choice for everyday baking because it's neutral and lets the other flavors shine. But you can use canola oil, coconut oil or other vegetable oils.
- White granulated sugar.
- Brown sugar: light or dark.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Baking powder and baking soda: make sure they're not expired.
- Spices: a mix of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice is our favorite. But feel free to add a pinch of cloves, remove the ones you don't like or use pumpkin pie spice mix.
- Vanilla.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Preparing the bundt pan
If you bake bundt cakes often, you've likely had one stick to the pan. It's frustrating, but preventable. Here are three reliable methods:
- Shortening and flour: Coat the pan thoroughly with soft shortening using your fingers or a brush, making sure to reach every corner, including the center tube. Dust with flour, rotating the pan to cover evenly, then tap out the excess over the sink.
- Cake goop (pan-release paste): Mix equal parts shortening, flour, and oil into a paste. Brush it onto the pan. Store leftovers in a jar, 1 month at room temp or up to 3 months in the fridge. This is one of my favorite methods.
- Baking spray with flour: Only use baking spray that includes flour. Regular cooking spray isn't enough and often leads to sticking. I rarely use this anymore.
The recipe matters too: When I find a bundt cake that releases cleanly, even without perfect prep, I hold onto it; it's a keeper.
How to make pumpkin bundt cake
Oil-based batter
It's quicker than using soft butter.
The sugar and eggs are beaten until frothy, and the oil is added in a thin stream until you have a thick batter. This takes about 3 minutes.
Flour mixture
It's important to sift it to avoid clumps or impurities. And it helps with fluffiness.
You can sift them beforehand in a bowl, or have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture (my choice).
Paula's Tip
After incorporating flour into a cake batter, you don't want to develop gluten, as it will toughen the baked cake. So mix *just* until it's all well incorporated, but don't overbeat. Also, I like to end mixing with a silicone spatula to ensure the ingredients are fully integrated.
Final batter
I recommend finishing with a spatula to make sure there is no flour left unmixed in the bottom of the bowl, and also to scrape the sides well for the last time.
Baking the cake
- How do you know when it's done? Most bundt cakes will bake to a golden brown top before they're fully baked inside. So always use a cake tester or toothpick to check: if it comes out clean (no moist crumbs or wet batter attached) when you insert it in the middle of the cake, it's done.
- What if the cake is browning too quickly? This can happen with large cakes, so tent with a large piece of aluminum foil to loosely cover the top of the cake and continue baking it; the foil will prevent the top from continuing to brown while the inside fully bakes.
Bundt pan
Fill the pan to no more than ¾ of its capacity. That is my golden rule regarding cake batters in general, and especially relevant with bundt cakes that tend to be dense and large.
Removing
Let it cool down on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes before attempting to remove it. Use a smooth-bladed knife to check there are no stuck parts around the edges and center, and shake the pan carefully to loosen up the cake. Use a wire rack on top to flip it.
Cream cheese frosting
I use a simple cream cheese frosting because, together with pumpkin, it makes the best cake possible.
It's easy to make (mix powdered sugar with butter and cream cheese), keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks, and there are usually leftovers that can be used to fill and frost other cakes like the Red Velvet Bundt Cake, the wonderful Hummingbird Layer Cake, or our decadent Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.
Frosting a bundt cake
The domed shape of bundt cakes sometimes makes them tricky to glaze and frost.
It's easy to do so, but the right consistency is key! Too soft and it will run down the sides; too thick and it'll be harder to spread.
How much frosting? That's up to you! I find that a thick layer is always a good idea. So allow your sweet tooth to decide.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pan size: fill the pan to no more than ¾ of its capacity at the most. That is my golden rule regarding cake batters in general, and especially relevant with bundt cakes that tend to be dense, similar to pound cakes. I give 2 choices of pan size in the recipe card.
- Flavorings: adapt the amount and type of spices to your palate. Use any homemade or store-bought mix you like, or use fewer spices than those specified in the recipe. Make this flavorful pumpkin bundt cake your own!
- Add-ins: you can add ½ cup of semi sweet chocolate chips or chopped walnuts/pecans to the pumpkin batter.
- Freezing: this moist pumpkin bundt cake freezes well for a month; make sure it's well wrapped. I use plastic wrap first and then aluminum foil. Defrost in the refrigerator (it takes a while, so I recommend doing it the day before) or at room temperature.
- Frosting: you can use a flavored cream cheese frosting by adding ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ¼ teaspoon of pure almond extract, or add some grated orange extract or zest to the frosting itself.
Related recipes you might like:
Pumpkin Bundt Cake (with cream cheese frosting)
Ingredients
- You can use homemade pumpkin pie spice or store-bought instead of the spices below.
- 2 tablespoons shortening, soft, to grease the pan
For a 10-cup bundt pan:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice , or nutmeg or a mix of both
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree, 12 ounces
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon orange zest, optional
For a 12-cup bundt pan:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, or nutmeg or a mix of both
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 cups pumpkin puree, 16 ounces
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons milk, if needed
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Grease a 10 or 12-inch bundt cake pan (26cm) with 2 tablespoons shortening, making sure every nook, cranny and angle is covered. Dust with flour, shaking off excess. Reserve.
- Sift together 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl.
- Beat 3 eggs for a minute with an electric mixer in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), until frothy.
- Add ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup light brown sugar and beat for 1 or 2 minutes, until thick and pale-colored.
- Gradually add ¾ cup vegetable oil and beat for a minute more, until well incorporated.
- Add 1 ½ cups pumpkin pureeand mix well. If using ½ teaspoon orange zest add it now.
- Add flour mixture in two additions beating only until well mixed. It's important that you don't overbeat the pumpkin mixture at this point.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly before it's done, loosely cover the cake with a large piece of aluminum foil so the top doesn't continue to brown while the inside bakes fully.
- Let cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Grab the pan with kitchen towels and starts shaking it a little, until the cake moves and you make sure the bottom and sides are not stuck.
- Invert onto a wire rack, and cool completely before frosting.
- Add the cream cheese frosting and decorate with some orange zest and ground cinnamon.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Beat soft 4 tablespoons cream cheese in a bowl with the soft 2 tablespoons unsalted butter until very creamy and no lumps remain.
- Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until you have a thick, very creamy consistency. If needed, thin it with 1 to 2 teaspoons milk until you have a good enough spreadable consistency.
- Store it in the refrigerator, covered, for a few weeks. Beat again before using it to attain a creamy consistency.
Wanda says
Hello!
I’m making this but noticed that in the frosting ingredients you didn’t mention the salt, but you did in the instructions, and also you didn’t mention the sugar in the recipe.
I’m a bit confused 😅
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Wanda! The frosting has powdered sugar but no salt. It was a typo; apologies about that. Thanks for the heads-up. It's corrected now. Happy baking!
Karen says
Can you substitute applesauce for the oil?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Karen, I never tried it specifically for this recipe, but substituted it several times in cakes and quick breads, so you shouldn't have issues if you do. Make sure it's unsweetened applesauce. Have a great weekend!
angiesrecipes says
You have the best baked goods here, Paula. This bundt cake looks bakery perfect and I love that frosting!