OLD Pumpkin Bundt Cake

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This Pumpkin Bundt Cake is the only pumpkin cake you need this Fall!

This Pumpkin Bundt Cake is wonderfully moist and rich infused with warm Fall spices and decadent chocolate chips then bathed in a velvety Cinnamon Pumpkin Cream Cheese Glaze.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe Video

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

As I mentioned in my Nutella Pumpkin Crepes post, my favorite pumpkin anything growing up was my Mom’s Famous Pumpkin Bread with chocolate chips – pumpkin and chocolate are just made for each other! And my favorite part of the bread – aside from the chocolate chips – was the outer crystallized sugar crust. My mom began making mini loafs just so there would be more crust – thanks mom.

So when I was thinking about what type of pumpkin cake I wanted to make, I knew it had to have chocolate chips and a crystallized brown sugar crust which meant it had to be a chocolate chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake!

I chose to make this Pumpkin Bundt Cake a pound cake so it is rich, tender, dense and decadent yet still super moist due to the pumpkin puree. It’s inclusion of butter gives it an underlying buttery richness while pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg celebrate the flavors of Fall. So Happy Fall to you with rich, moist Pumpkin Bundt cake!

Why do they call it a bundt cake?

I adore bunt cakes – they are visually impressive, but so easy and one of my favorite types of cakes to make – and to eat! From my Toffee Pecan Caramel Cake, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake,- and now Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake, I just can’t get enough of their rich, buttery, soft, moist texture. And they are so pretty.

The bundt cake is assumed to have originated from the German bundkuchen, a ring-shaped coffee cake. The first variation dates bake to 1901 in The Settlement Cookbook, written by Lizzie Kander of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in which she uses the term “Bundt Kuchen” instated of bund.

The aluminum bundt pan was trademarked in 1950 by H. David Dalquist, founder of Nordic Ware, based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. He modified some existing Scandinavian pan designs with fluted and grooved sides, that were traditionally made out of ceramic or cast iron. The new aluminium bundt pans sold slowly until a bundt cake won second place in a 1966 Pillsbury-sponsored baking contest.

This bundt cake glory caused the bundt cake pan to skyrocket in popularity, and even surpass the Jell-O mold in the United States. Today there is even a National Bundt Pan day on November 15 – the perfect day to make this Pumpkin Bundt Cake!

What is the difference between a Pumpkin Cake and a Pumpkin Bundt Cake?

Any type of cake cooked in a Bundt pan can be called a bundt cake BUT there are still a few differences between a Pumpkin Bundt Cake and regular Pumpkin Cake. Namely, since the middle of the Pumpkin Bundt Cake is hollow, more of the batter will touch the sides and result in that fabulous crystallized sugar crust that I love so much about pumpkin bread. This circular cake structure also results in a more sturdy cake that can easily support any type of frosting you choose. The shape also requires a more moist cake recipe because more of the cake batter will be exposed high heat.

Tips and Tricks for Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Grease bundt cake pan. You will need a 12 cup bundt cake pan for this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe. Take care to grease and flour your pan so your baked cake doesn’t stick (more info in section to follow).
Prep Ahead. As with all recipes, carefully read through the entire recipe, and prepare any special ingredients, such as room temperature eggs and milk in this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe.
Pre-Measure Ingredients. This is optional but I like pre-measure my ingredients before I start so that way, if/when I get interrupted, I haven’t lost track of measurements.
Use Pumpkin Puree NOT Pumpkin Pie Filling. Pumpkin Puree is 100% pure pumpkin that has been cooked and pureed. Pumpkin Pie Filling, however, is sweetened and seasoned with spices and will not work in this recipe.
Room Temperature Ingredients. You need room temperature milk and room temperature eggs for this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe. This results in a pound cake with maximum volume.
Beat Until Fluffy patient. Beat softened butter, sugar and pumpkin until fluffy. This can take anywhere from 3-7 minutes, depending on your mixer. This step is so important because it is the only time you want to whip air into the cake batter so it will rise during baking.
Don’t overbeat. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg. You never want to overbeat eggs as this will cause the batter to be runny and may cause the batter to overflow when baking. Overbeaten eggs can also create a fragile crust that crumbles and separates from the cake as it cools.
Don’t peak! Don’t open the oven doors until it is time to check your Pumpkin Bundt Cake for doneness. Opening the doors can cause your cake to cook unevenly and to fall.
Don’t microwave cream cheese or butter! For the Pumpkin Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze, use cream cheese and butter softened at room temperature. If you soften them in the microwave, they will be too runny.

How do I Make Sure My Pumpkin Bundt Cake doesn’t stick?

It is a sad day when you put the time, effort and ingredients into a cake and it sticks. To prevent your Pumpkin Bundt Cake from sticking, either spray every nook and cranny with nonstick cooking spray WITH FLOUR IN IT OR grease and flour the inside of your pan.

To grease pan:

Use a pastry brush to grease every nook and cranny of the pan thoroughly with softened butter or solid shortening.
Sprinkle some flour OR cocoa powder in the pan. I tend to use flour for lighter colored cakes and cocoa powder for darker cakes (for this Pumpkin Bundt Cake, I used nonstick cooking spray with four).
Hold floured pan over the sink and tilt the pan in a circular motion in order to distribute the flour evenly. Add more flour if there are any bare spots.
Flip the bundt pan over and tap out any excess flour.

How long do I let my Pumpkin Bundt Cake Cool?

It is important to let your Pumpkin Bundt Cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. This allows the cake to retract from the pan and become firm enough to remove without breaking. If you leave your Pumpkin Bundt Cake in the pan for too long, then it can become damp and stick to the pan.

How do I remove my Pumpkin Bundt Cake from the Bundt pan?

Let Pumpkin Bund Cake cool for 10 minutes.
After your Pumpkin Bundt Cake has cooled for 10 minutes, then firmly tap the outside of the pan a few times to loosen the cake.
Place a cooling rack over the open side of the bundt cake pan and hold the sides so you are holding both the edges of the bundt cake pan and the cooling rack. Carefully and quickly flip the cooling rack and bundt cake over to invert the cake, then remove the bundt pan.
Let the Pumpkin Bundt Cake cool completely on the wire cooling rack.

Can I make Pumpkin Bundt Cake Ahead of Time?

Yes! This Pumpkin Bundt Cake is the perfect cake to make ahead of time and I think it tastes even better the next day! Once your cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature.

You can make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. You may need to whisk in additional milk when ready to use as it will thicken in the refrigerator.

Can I Freeze Pumpkin Bundt Cake?

Yes! You will want to wait until your Pumpkin Bundt Cake is completely cooled then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap WITHOUT the Glaze. The glaze should not be frozen. Freeze cake for up to 3 months. Allow you cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Best Glaze for Pumpkin Bundt Cake

The multi-dimensional silky Cinnamon Pumpkin Cream Cheese Glaze pushes this Pumpkin Bundt Cake over the delicious edge into the crazy delicious arena where everyone will be beg you for the recipe. The glaze is a simple combination of cinnamon, pumpkin puree, cream cheese and powdered sugar that enhances the Fall spiced pumpkin cake. I love to warm my slice(s) of cake for 15 seconds or so not only is the chocolate studded cake warm but the the glaze is all warm, ooey, and gooey and irresistible!

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Servings: servings

Total Time: 1 45

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 30

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Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pound Cake

1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin, divided
6 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar packed
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
3/4 cup whole milk at room temperature
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
nonstick cooking spray WITH FLOUR

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze

4 oz. Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree from above can pumpkin
2 cups Powdered sugar sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and spray all surfaces of a 12 cup nonstick bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray WITH FLOUR OR grease and flour the inside of your pan. Set aside.
Remove 2 tablespoons pure pumpkin from 15 oz. can pumpkin and set aside for glaze. Add remaining pumpkin, butter and sugars to mixer and beat until FLUFFY. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternately with milk in between each third. Beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans just until combined then spoon batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.
Bake until a wood pick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean, 70 - 85 minutes at 325 F degrees.*
Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare glaze, beat cream cheese, butter and 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree together until smooth. Add milk and cinnamon and gradually beat in powdered sugar, adding additional milk if necessary to reach desired consistency. Drizzle desired amount of glaze over cake and serve any remaining glaze with individual servings. I love to warm my cake with glaze in the microwave for 15 seconds or so – so good!

Notes

*My oven takes closer to 80 minutes to cook but a reader commented their cake only took 55-60 minutes (this could be due to a convection oven) - so please check your cake at 55 minutes and be aware that it can be done sooner.

Tips and Tricks for Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Prep Ahead. As with all recipes, carefully read through the entire recipe, and prepare any special ingredients, such as room temperature eggs and milk required in this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe.
Pre-Measure Ingredients. This is optional but I like pre-measure my ingredients before I start so that way, if/when I get interrupted, I haven't lost track of measurements.
Use Pumpkin Puree NOT Pumpkin Pie Filling. Pumpkin Puree is 100% pure pumpkin that has been cooked and pureed. Pumpkin Pie Filling, however, is sweetened and seasoned with spices and will not work in this recipe.
Room Temperature Ingredients. You need room temperature milk and room temperature eggs for this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe. This results in a pound cake with maximum volume.
Beat Until Fluffy patient. Beat softened butter, sugar and pumpkin until fluffy. This can take anywhere from 3-7 minutes, depending on your mixer. This step is so important because it is the only time you want to whip air into the cake batter so it will rise during baking.
Don't overbeat. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg. You never want to overbeat eggs as this will cause the batter to be runny and may cause the batter to overflow when baking. Overbeaten eggs can also create a fragile crust that crumbles and separates from the cake as it cools.
Don't peak! Don't open the oven doors until it is time to check your Pumpkin Bundt Cake for doneness. Opening the doors can cause your cake to cook unevenly and to fall.
Don't microwave cream cheese or butter! For the Pumpkin Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze, use cream cheese and butter softened at room temperature. If you soften them in the microwave, they will be too runny.

Can I make Pumpkin Bundt Cake Ahead of Time?

This Pumpkin Bundt Cake is the perfect cake to make ahead of time and I think it tastes even better the next day! Once your cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature. You can make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. You may need to whisk in additional milk when ready to use as it will thicken in the refrigerator.

Can I Freeze Pumpkin Bundt Cake?

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