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    Recipes » Cakes and Pies » Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

    Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

    Published: Oct 6, 2022 · Modified: Nov 12, 2022 by Kate Shungu · This post may contain affiliate links

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    slice of pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese frosting and walnuts.
    slice of pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese frosting and walnuts.
    slice of pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese frosting and walnuts.
    whole pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts.

    This easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect fall dessert. It’s moist, rich, packed with pumpkin flavor, and the frosting takes it over the top!

    slice of pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese frosting sitting next to two mini pumpkins.

    Hello, fall! This Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe is a delightfully tasty way to celebrate the season.

    It has a whole can of pumpkin, warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and a truly decadent cream cheese frosting.

    And it’s truly easy—just stir everything together and bake. You’ll need just one bowl for the batter, one bowl for the frosting, and a bundt cake pan.

    The recipe is from a 1970s church cookbook. The original recipe was in need of some tweaking—it called for 4 teaspoons of cinnamon which was a little too much for my taste. And, it was topped with an ermine frosting (cooked flour frosting).

    As much as I wanted to like the frosting, it did very little to complement the cake. So, I replaced it with a cream cheese frosting, and that was a VERY good decision. The tanginess of the cream cheese is the perfect pairing with the sweet pumpkin spiced cake. And, the cream cheese frosting is much easier, too!

    This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links support Gift of Hospitality at no additional cost to you. I receive a commission if you choose to make a purchase through these links.

    Jump to:
    • Tips for the BEST easy pumpkin bundt cake
    • Ingredients
    • How to make an easy pumpkin bundt cake
    • How to make cream cheese frosting
    • Topping the cake
    • Can I make pumpkin bundt cake ahead of time?
    • Can pumpkin cake be frozen?
    • More old fashioned cakes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Related recipes
    • 💬 Reviews
    a whole pumpkin bundt cake topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts.

    Tips for the BEST easy pumpkin bundt cake

    • This cake can be made in a bundt pan OR a 13×9 inch pan with good results.
    • The cream cheese and butter MUST be at room temperature for a perfectly creamy frosting.
    • Want to use pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices? You can substitute 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in place of the ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
    • Use an offset spatula to create pretty swirls on the top of the cake before topping with nuts.

    Ingredients

    flour, sugar, oil, eggs, and other cake ingredients on a white table.
    • You’ll need a whole can (15 oz) of pumpkin purée.
    • Warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves enhance the pumpkin flavor.
    • The rest of the ingredients are pretty typical cake ingredients: oil, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The oil helps keep the cake super moist and tender!

    How to make an easy pumpkin bundt cake

    Start by whisking together the eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin purée in a large bowl.

    pumpkin cake batter in white bowl with a whisk.

    Then comes the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

    I’ve made this cake by whisking the dry ingredients together first, and also by just dumping them into the batter without mixing first, and there was no difference!

    flour, baking powder, baking soda, and warm spices in a low white bowl.

    Gently fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. You want to mix it JUST until it’s combined. If you over mix it, it can result in a tough cake.

    Pour the mixture into a greased bundt pan (I just used cooking spray to grease it). You can also use a 13×9 inch pan.

    pumpkin cake batter in a bundt pan.

    Bake the bundt cake for 55–60 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

    Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before inverting the cake onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

    If you’re using a 13×9 inch pan, bake it for 30–35 minutes.

    How to make cream cheese frosting

    The key to a super creamy frosting is to make sure that the butter and cream cheese are both at room temperature. This takes about 2 hours of sitting on the countertop.

    If you’re short on time, cut both the butter and cream cheese into small pieces, and let it sit at room temperature for at least 45 minutes.

    cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and chopped walnuts on a white table.

    In addition to the cream cheese and butter, you’ll also need vanilla extract and powdered sugar. The chopped walnuts (or pecans) are for the top!

    In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until soft and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

    cream cheese frosting in a glass bowl with a hand mixer.

    Topping the cake

    Use an offset spatula to distribute the frosting evenly over the pumpkin bundt cake, then sprinkle with walnuts.

    the top of a pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts next to two mini pumpkins.

    Here are a few more easy ideas for toppings:

    • Swap chopped pecans for the walnuts
    • Ditch the nuts altogether and use fall-colored sprinkles instead
    • For a less decadent option, omit the frosting and dust the cake with powdered sugar instead.

    Can I make pumpkin bundt cake ahead of time?

    The cake can be made and frosted up to 3 days in advance of serving it. Keep it in the refrigerator under a cake dome or in a covered container. Bring it to room temperature before serving the cake.

    slice of pumpkin bundt cake topped with frosting and nuts, next to a mini pumpkin.

    Can pumpkin cake be frozen?

    This easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake can be frozen with or without the frosting. It’s a little easier to freeze it without the frosting (especially if it’s whole). Wrap the unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in two layers of aluminum foil before freezing for up to one month.

    You can also freeze slices of the cake with the frosting. Wrap the slices in plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag. The slices will last several months in the freezer as long as they’re in the airtight freezer bag.

    More old fashioned cakes

    • Homemade Hawaiian Cake
    • Easy Ding Dong Cake (a reader favorite)
    • Easy Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
    • Old Fashioned Orange Cake
    • Jell-O Poke Cake
    • Coconut Poke Cake
    • Sock it to Me Cake

    And one old fashioned pie!

    • Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

    Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!

    cup of ambrosia and slice of banana cake.

    📖 Recipe

    slice of pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts on top on a white marble platter.

    Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

    Published by Kate
    This old fashioned recipe creates a super moist and tender, lightly spiced pumpkin cake. The cream cheese frosting takes it over the top!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 servings
    Calories 590 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the cake:

    • 1½ cups vegetable oil
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 4 eggs
    • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • Pinch of cloves
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    For the frosting:

    • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
    • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
    • 3 cups powdered sugar
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • Pinch of salt
    • ¼ cup chopped walnuts

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan OR 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, and whisk to combine.
    • Whisk in the pumpkin, then fold in the remaining cake ingredients (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) with a spatula. Stir just until combined.
    • Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30–35 minutes for the 13×9 inch pan, or 55–60 minutes for the bundt pan.
    • Let cool completely before frosting.
    • Once the cake is cool, place the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt in a large bowl. Mix with a handheld electric mixer until soft and creamy.
    • For the bundt cake, invert the cake onto a cake pedestal or serving platter. For the 13×9 inch cake, just leave it in the pan.
    • Frost the cooled cake, and top with the chopped walnuts.

    Notes

    You can replace the ginger, nutmeg, and cloves with 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Keep the same amount of cinnamon in the recipe (2 teaspoons). 
    Make it ahead: make and frost the cake up to 3 days ahead. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. 
    Freeze the cake for up to 3 months. It freezes more neatly unfrosted, but you can freeze slices of the frosted cake, too. Wrap slices in plastic wrap then place in a resealable freezer bag before freezing. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 5gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 444mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 4562IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword pumpkin bundt cake
    Tried this recipe?Follow me at @giftofhospitality and let me know how you liked it!

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    About Kate

    I’m a believer, wife, mom, and big fan of old cookbooks. I live in Chicago with my husband and two young sons. I love discovering old fashioned recipes that will transport you back in time! Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Maggie says

      October 08, 2022 at 8:05 pm

      5 stars
      Full disclosure I didn’t make this recipe but I did eat it and it was delicious! Perfect fall cake that was moist and full of pumpkin flavor, plus cream cheese frosting makes everything better!

      Reply
      • Kate Shungu says

        October 10, 2022 at 4:40 pm

        <3

        Reply

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