How to make a tantalizing pumpkin bundt cake topped with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting!
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That chilly autumn air is creeping in all around which means the baking season is in full swing! Autumn holidays are just around the corner so kitchens are starting to fill up with the aroma of cinnamon spice, pumpkin, and baked sweet treats. Traditional treats like pumpkin pie are always delightful, but for this holiday season how about spicing up those classic pumpkin recipes with a bit of a cakey twist? This Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is simply out of this world and is absolutely perfect for stealing the show on the Thanksgiving dessert table or for serving as just a cozy autumn snack!
One of my absolute favorite things about making bundt cakes is that they are so easy to make yet they turn out so sweetly satisfying! This inviting pumpkin bundt cake is no exception. This bundt cake is made with that irresistible pumpkin flavor mixed with a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend, all topped off with a sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting! Talk about autumn bliss, the flavor combination couldn’t get any better than that! So, I’m going to break this recipe down for you step by step so that you and your loved ones can have all the pumpkin-y treats and autumn bliss that your heart desires!
Bundt Cake and Frosting Equipment
For this easy autumn bundt cake recipe, you won’t need any special tools or complicated equipment. As long as you have a bundt cake pan and a few other common baking tools, you are good to go!
Pumpkin Bundt Cake Equipment:
- Glass mixing bowl
- Spatulas
- Hand mixer
- Bundt cake pan
- Disposable Vinyl Gloves
- Sifter
- Round drying rack
- Parchment paper sheets
Pumpkin Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
If you are already familiar with baking cakes or cupcakes then you will mostly know what to expect here. There are quite a few ingredients required for this recipe, but most of them are used commonly for baking cakes so you might already have most of what you need in your kitchen. Then you’ll just need to grab a couple more sweet and pumpkin-y ingredients and you’re ready to get this baking party started!
For the pumpkin bundt cake:
- 3 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 can pumpkin puree – 15 oz can
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter – melted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp Vegetable shortening – for greasing a bundt cake pan
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour – – for greasing a bundt cake pan
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 oz room temperature cream cheese – ½ of 8 oz package
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter – room temperature
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz Confectioners Sugar
Ingredient Substitutions and Tips:
- I prefer to use cake flour instead of all-purpose in my bundt cake recipes because it makes the final texture and moisture of the cake turn out way better!
- I also prefer to use my own homemade blend of Pumpkin Pie Spice for my autumn recipes but you can swap this out for a store-bought blend for extra ease.
- Need some tips on melting or softening butter fast for this recipe? Here are my simple guides on How to Melt Butter and How to Soften Butter!
How to Make A Delicious Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
It’s showtime! Time to roll up those sleeves and grab your baking gear, because those pumpkin spice flavors are drawing near! Now I’m going to break down the recipe steps for you so that you’ll know exactly what to expect when trying out this recipe in your kitchen. Be sure to keep an eye out for any side notes or special instructions that I have included for the smoothest baking experience!
To make the pumpkin bundt cake:
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F and measure out all of the ingredients.
- Next, pour the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into a glass mixing bowl.
- Combine the dry ingredients with a blending whisk.
- Then, in another separate large glass mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla extract, melted butter, and sour cream.
- Beat the pumpkin mixture with a hand mixer on a medium setting, until completely combined.
- Then, gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredient mixture, ⅓ at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Continue this process until all of the dry and wet ingredients have completely combined to form a thick pumpkin batter.
- Next, coat the entire inside of the bundt cake pan with vegetable shortening. Make sure to get all the sides and corners. Then, sprinkle a light coat of flour over the shortening, shake and spin the pan to spread evenly, then dump out any excess flour from the pan.
- I like to protect my hands from getting greasy by using some food-friendly disposable gloves for this step.
- Evenly distribute the pumpkin cake batter into the greased bundt cake pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Bake the pumpkin bundt cake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- After baking, let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the cake pan. Use a butter knife to help separate the sides of the cake from the pan.
- Finally, transfer the cake from the pan onto the wire cooling rack. Cover the cake with a kitchen towel and let it cool completely, about 1-2 hours, before frosting.
To make the cream cheese frosting:
- First, measure out all of the frosting ingredients.
- Next, combine the cream cheese, room temp butter, sour cream, and vanilla extract in a glass mixing bowl, and beat the mixture with a hand mixer.
- Then, add in the confectioner’s sugar ⅓ at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Continue this process until all of the sugar has been mixed in and a smooth consistency is reached.
- Then, slide a sheet of parchment paper under the cooling rack with the pumpkin bundt cake.
- Finally, spread the homemade cream cheese frosting over the completely cooled pumpkin bundt cake, serve, and enjoy!
How to Store Bundt Cakes
Need to prepare this cake ahead of time? Or did you try out this recipe and end up with some leftover cake? No problem! You can easily store and save bundt cakes for future enjoyment! If properly stored, your homemade cake can last for quite a while. Here are a few bundt cake storage options:
- Store the pumpkin bundt cake in an airtight cake container and keep safely for up to 3 days on the counter at room temp.
- Store the bundt cake in the fridge, either wrapped with plastic food wrap or sealed in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- I would suggest this storing method if you are preparing this cake ahead of time for a holiday or party.
- Individual slices can be frozen for longer-term storage:
- First, wrap the individual slices in cellophane, then wrap again in kitchen foil.
- These slices will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Always use a marker to label the date on the outside of the wrapping to keep up with freshness and quality.
Pumpkin recipes
Autumn Recipes to Fall For
It’s clear to see why autumn is truly the baking season of the year. Sure it does linger on throughout the winter months but there’s just something special about those inviting spiced cakes and unbeatable Thanksgiving desserts that make a sweet tooth swoon. Can’t get enough of those delightful pumpkin spice flavors? Then check out some more of my top favorite autumn recipes:
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Coconut Banana Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pie Mug Cake
- Pumpkin Bread
- Caramel Banana Muffins
- Toasted Pecans
- Toffee Glaze
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Toffee Glaze
- French Toast
- Homemade Whipped Cream
Bundt cakes for every occasion:
- 4th of July Bundt Cake
- Christmas Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Funfetti Bundt Cake
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake
- Cranberry and Lemon Bundt Cake
Pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Bundt cake
- 3 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 can pumpkin puree 15 oz can
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp Vegetable shortening for greasing a bund cake pan
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour for greasing a bund cake pan
Cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese ½ of 8 oz package, room temperature
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz Confectioners Sugar
Instructions
Bundt cake
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F and measure out all of the ingredients.
- Next, pour the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into a glass mixing bowl.
- Combine the dry ingredients with a blending whisk.
- Then, in another separate large glass mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla extract, melted butter, and sour cream.
- Beat the pumpkin mixture with a hand mixer on a medium setting, until completely combined.
- Then, gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredient mixture, ⅓ at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Continue this process until all of the dry and wet ingredients have completely combined to form a thick pumpkin batter.
- Next, coat the entire inside of the bundt cake pan with vegetable shortening. Make sure to get all the sides and corners. Then, sprinkle a light coat of flour over the shortening, shake and spin the pan to spread evenly, then dump out any excess flour from the pan.I like to protect my hands from getting greasy by using some food-friendly disposable gloves for this step.
- Evenly distribute the pumpkin cake batter into the greased bundt cake pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Bake the pumpkin bundt cake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- After baking, let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the cake pan. Use a butter knife to help separate the sides of the cake from the pan.
- Finally, transfer the cake from the pan onto the wire cooling rack. Cover the cake with a kitchen towel and let it cool completely, about 1-2 hours, before frosting.
Cream cheese frosting
- First, measure out all of the frosting ingredients.
- Next, combine the cream cheese, room temp butter, sour cream, and vanilla extract in a glass mixing bowl, and beat the mixture with a hand mixer.
- Then, add in the confectioner’s sugar ⅓ at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Continue this process until all of the sugar has been mixed in and a smooth consistency is reached.
- Then, slide a sheet of parchment paper under the cooling rack with the pumpkin bundt cake.
- Finally, spread the homemade cream cheese frosting over the completely cooled pumpkin bundt cake, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store the pumpkin bundt cake in an airtight cake container and keep safely for up to 3 days on the counter at room temp.
- Store the bundt cake in the fridge, either wrapped with plastic food wrap or sealed in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- I would suggest this storing method if you are preparing this cake ahead of time for a holiday or party.
- Individual slices can be frozen for longer-term storage:
- First, wrap the individual slices in cellophane, then wrap again in kitchen foil.
- These slices will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Always use a marker to label the date on the outside of the wrapping to keep up with freshness and quality.
Nutrition
Food Photography & Video Tips from My Studio
Here’s a peek at the tools, gear, and camera setups I use to film my recipe videos and photograph food at home. Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of different setups, and now I’m sharing what actually works for me—whether I’m filming overhead shots for YouTube or styling still photos for my blog. If you’re curious about how I create the content you see here, these posts are a great place to start.
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