Everyone’s go to pumpkin dessert is a pumpkin bread, but have you tried a pumpkin bundt cake? They are really the unsung pumpkin dessert. Not only do they look pretty but they are also one of the easiest things to make. This particular bundt cake is one of our favorites. It is a spiced pumpkin bundt cake with thick, creamy drips of maple icing. The cake is heavily spiced, tender, and pairs perfectly with the creamy maple icing.
HOW TO MAKE THE PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE:
To make the cake there are two main components: the pumpkin spiced bundt cake and brown sugar maple glaze.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake: For the pumpkin bundt cake, all it takes is a bowl, the ingredients, and a whisk. Simply sift together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside. Then in a larger bowl, add the sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Mix the ingredients with a whisk until smooth. After, add in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. When the wet ingredients are all mixed, add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. It is important to not over mix at this step so the cake stays tender. Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan and bake for ~1 hour.
Maple Glaze: To make the glaze start by cooking together the brown sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup, salt and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Once it is dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Boil the mixture for 3 minutes, occasionally stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. After, add the powdered sugar to a bowl and pour over the warm mixture. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk together the icing until it is lighter in color ~2 minutes. Cool the icing until it is thickened (~20 minutes) before spooning over the cooled cake. As painful as it is, the step of cooling both the cake and the icing is VERY important to ensure large drips remain on the cake.
PERFECT PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE NOTES:
- Mixing: We prefer to use a bowl and whisk for this cake for two reasons: 1. it’s easy to mix by hand and 2. to ensure the cake stays tender, it is important to not over mix
- Icing Consistency: To ensure the icing does not drip off the cake, make sure to let it sit for 20 minutes. This time will allow the icing to set up and create thick, creamy drips across the cake versus those of a thin glaze.
CAN I MAKE THE CAKE WITHOUT THE ICING?
Yes- This would be delicious just about any way! The cake is not very sweet on its own, but the maple icing adds flavor, creaminess, and sweetness that balances it perfectly. Although we love the icing, the cake is also be delicious on its own.
DO I NEED A BUNDT PAN?
Part of the reason this cake bakes so evenly is because of the bundt pan. The hole in the center allows the large amount of batter to cook evenly leaving the perfect, tender cake. If you are using a different pan, we recommend splitting it into 2 or 3 batches so the cake is able to cook evenly.
WHAT TYPE OF PUMPKIN PUREE DO YOU USE?
We used canned pumpkin puree, but if you prefer to roast pumpkins from scratch, puree, and strain them, by all means use them here!
Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 if morton
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup salted butter 1/2 stick
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste 1 teaspoon vanilla extract can also be used
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F
- Grease a bundt pan (12 cup size) with cooking spray or butter
- Sift flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside
- Add sugar, oil, and pumpkin to a bowl. Mix with a whisk until smooth
- Add in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition
- Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined (do not over mix at this step)
- Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan and bake for 55 minutes – 1 hour 5 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack (if the cake is not coming out, use a knife and gently run it along the edges being careful to loosen but not cut the cake)
For icing:
- Add the brown sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup, salt and butter to a medium saucepan. Place on the stove over medium-low heat and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture for 3 minutes, occasionally stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla bean paste
- Add the powdered sugar to a bowl and pour over the warm mixture. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk together the icing for ~2 minutes (the mixture will be a lighter color). Cool the icing until it is thickened (~20 minutes)
- Spoon it over the cooled cake and allow it to drip down the sides
Can you make this ahead of time, if so, how do you store it?
You can! It will be good if made the day before. Just store it in a cake airtight container or cover with plastic wrap (be sure to let the icing set before and wrap gently where the icing touches). Happy baking!