This pumpkin bundt cake recipe is soft, moist, and full of warm pumpkin spice. Top it with a simple cream cheese frosting for an easy fall dessert to share.
Other pumpkin desserts we love include pumpkin dump cake, chocolate chip pumpkin cake, these pumpkin bars and pumpkin crunch cake!
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Key Takeaways: Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe
- Soft and moist: Canned pumpkin, oil, and sour cream give this Bundt cake a tender texture.
- Warmly spiced: Pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar bring cozy fall flavor to every slice.
- Easy to customize: Add chocolate chips to the batter, then serve the cake plain or topped with cream cheese frosting or dusted with powdered sugar.
Why I Love This Recipe
Growing up, I loved visiting the pumpkin patch with my family, and I still love going with my own family today. This pumpkin bundt cake is the first pumpkin dessert I bake each fall!
It’s topped with the same cream cheese frosting I use on my pumpkin bars and like my pumpkin cake, it’s just right for a fall gathering or Thanksgiving dessert.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full recipe with printable directions.
- Pumpkin puree: Use a 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. It adds moisture and pumpkin flavor.
- Vegetable oil: A neutral oil helps keep the cake moist and tender.
- Sour cream: Adds richness and moisture, giving the cake its soft, dense crumb.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and a deeper flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice: A tablespoon adds warm spice flavor. Use my homemade pumpkin pie spice if you’re out.
- Cream cheese frosting: My 4-ingredient cream cheese frosting is delicious on this cake. I like to thin it with additional cream so I can drizzle it on the cake, although you can pipe it on like a Nothing Bundt cake.
How to Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Grease every ridge of the Bundt pan well, then dust it with flour. I don’t rush this step because it helps the cake release cleanly after baking.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl. In another, whisk the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the pumpkin, oil, and sour cream.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until combined. A few small lumps are fine, and mixing only until combined helps keep the cake tender. Fold in chocolate chips if you’d like.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 50–60 minutes. Start checking around 50 minutes with a toothpick. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack. Let it cool completely before adding the frosting.
Baking Tips
- Measure the flour carefully. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping directly from the bag. Too much flour can make the cake heavier and drier.
- Pumpkin pie spice. Make your own using a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and ground cloves.
- Loosen before inverting: After 10–15 minutes, gently run a thin spatula around the outer edge and center tube if the cake seems stuck.
- Pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting. Add up 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the frosting.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake Toppings
Cream cheese frosting is my favorite topping for this pumpkin Bundt cake. You can also drizzle it with maple glaze or salted caramel sauce, dust it with powdered sugar, or add chopped pecans for crunch. For a chocolate finish, try chocolate ganache.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake FAQs
There are a few ways to check your bundt pumpkin cake for doneness! Insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out moist with a crew crumbs. You can also touch the top of the cake. It should feel springy to the touch and not make an indent. You can also visually see the cake start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
No. Pumpkin pie filling contains added ingredients and spices which will offset the balance of this pumpkin bundt cake recipe. Buy canned pure pumpkin puree or you can make your own homemade pumpkin puree. If using homemade puree, you may need to blot some of the moisture as it can add too much moisture to the cake.
Yes. This recipe makes about 18 mini cakes. Fill a greased mini Bundt pan and bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For easier filling, spoon the batter into a zip-top bag and snip off one corner.
Yes. Bake cake and cool completely. Store cake covered in the refrigerator up to two days. Bring to room temperature before adding any frosting or glaze.
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More delicious pumpkin desserts to try include this pumpkin bread, pumpkin streusel coffee cake , pumpkin roll or pumpkin spice cupcakes.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar , packed
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 15 ounce can pumpkin
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream
Optional mix-in: 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Optional toppings: powdered sugar, cream cheese frosting, caramel sauce, chopped nuts
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a bundt cake pan very well in all the creases and then dust with flour.
- Dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk 3 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla until just combined. Then stir 15 ounce can pumpkin, 1 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 cup sour cream.
- Combine. Slowly add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Add 3/4 cup chocolate chips if desired. Then pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake and cool. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean. Don't let it overcook. Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan and then place the cooling rack on top of it and flip over. Let cool completely.
- Add cream cheese frosting. When ready to serve, enjoy plain, add cream cheese frosting or drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
- This recipe also makes 18 mini pumpkin bundt cakes. Bake for 18-20 minutes if using mini bundt cake pans.
- If using my cream cheese frosting recipe to top your cake, you will likely need to add a few more Tablespoons of milk or heavy cream so that it turns into a drippier frosting that will coat the bundt cake. I like to add a Tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is met (usually about 1/4 cup total).
- Store: Store cake covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. If you do not frost it, you may store it at room temperature.
- Freeze: Cool your unfrosted cake completely then wrap in plastic wrap and store frozen up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before adding any frosting or glaze to the top.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Julie
Wonderful recipe! I used the cream cheese frosting recipe then sprinkled with crushed pecans- perfection! Even my husband, who is not too fond of pumpkin, loved this cake!
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Yum! So glad everyone enjoyed the pumpkin bundt cake!
Erin
I made this recently for a family gathering, and it was a big hit! The kids loved that I added the chocolate chips too. So moist and pretty!! Would totally make again.
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Yum! So glad the pumpkin bundt cake was a hit!
Kimberly
A beautiful moist cake
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So glad you enjoyed the pumpkin bundt cake!
Cristina
Can I make this ahead of time?
Jamielyn Nye
Yes it can be made ahead of time and frozen. I prefer to frost it the same day :)
Gina
I loved everything about this cake! It was so tasty and easy to make! I see myself making this quite often this fall!
Natalie
WHat a beautiful bundt cake. It looks delicious. Texture is amazing and flavors perfect. I will make this cake this weekend. Can’t wait.
Virginia
We loved your recipe very easy and stays moist for a long time. I will give you 5 stars.*****
Janet Nash
This pumpkin cake with chocolate chips and cream cheese drizzle is the best cake I have made and so beautiful. I placed cherries with stems on top and a piece of holly on the cake platter.
Very impressed with this and now will look for more of your recipes.
Jamielyn Nye
That sounds amazing!
Linda Harris
This was a very good cake.Some of my family wasn’t sure about pumpkin,but they loved it.
Jamielyn Nye
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Eric
What would the bake time be for a bundtlette pan?
Not a full on bundt, but bigger than the minis. Maybe somewhere between those bake times?
Jamielyn Nye
It will depend on the size of your bundt cakes. I would check after 20 minutes and then add time accordingly until a toothpick comes out clean.
Beth
This bundt cake looks so delicious and yummy! I can’t wait to makes this!
Jane Saunders
Ah so lovely – another great pumpkin recipe from you. It’s a great colour.
Sara
I love the mini bundt cakes – remind me of Bundtinis. I can’t wait to make these for sister’s birthday next week!
Jamielyn Nye
I hope you enjoy them!
Katerina @ diethood .com
I would love a slice of this amazing pumpkin bundt cake!! YUM!!
Angie
Can I ask…it says the recipe was updated a few weeks ago. Was there sour cream in this recipe before? I have made these a number of times and dont remember that ingredient and the cakes look and taste different than I remembered.
Jamielyn Nye
Hi! This recipe has always had sour cream in it. That combined with the pumpkin helps create a moist cake. The main thing we changed was the addition/instructions on how to make it in a large bundt pan.