Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This moist, ultra-tender pumpkin Bundt cake is baked in a 10-cup pan and finished with a shiny brown sugar glaze that sets like soft caramel. It's generously spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. This cozy fall dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving & Christmas just like my apple cranberry pecan bundt cake.

 

Why This Pumpkin Bundt Cake Works

• Oil-based batter = lasting moisture: Similar to my very popular apple pumpkin bundt cake, I use 100% oil (no butter) to minimize moisture loss and prevent dryness. The crumb keeps soft for days due to oil’s liquid state at room temp. 
• This recipe conveniently uses one 15 oz can of pumpkin purée: It adds moisture and tenderness; and the whole cake bakes up a naturally beautiful orange color.
• I use two sugars in cake batter: brown sugar boosts moisture and caramel notes, while granulated sugar contributes structure and balances sweetness—just like in my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.
• Brown sugar glaze: I briefly boil brown sugar with butter and milk to dissolve crystals, then whisk in powdered sugar off heat so the glaze thickens, clings, and firms into a soft “caramel” shell. It sets on top of the cake and doesn’t soak in. If you prefer a glaze that gently soaks the crumb, use my brown-sugar–cinnamon glaze from the Peach Upside-Down Cake—it’s a bit lighter and more pourable, giving a glossy, caramel-kissed finish.
• Fall spice blend. I generously season the pumpkin bundt cake with a homemade spice mixture, made of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

You'll Need These Ingredients:

• Dry ingredients: You'll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
• Wet ingredients: I used vegetable oil, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, 4 eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract.
• Spice blend: I am mixing together cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves (all 4 spices are ground).
• The brown sugar glaze requires only 5 ingrediends: unsalted butter, packed light brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract, powdered sugar.
• Pecans: I like to generously sprinkle chopped toasted pecans over the glazed pumpkin bundt cake for crunch and a pretty, bakery-style look.
• This photo shows you everything all the ingredients you'll need:

How to Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake (Step-by-Step Photos)

You'll find the complete recipe (with the ingredients amounts + directions) in the recipe card below (scroll down) — but here's a brief overview (with helpful process shots & expert tips) of what you can expect when you make pumpkin bundt cake:

• Prepare: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.
• Dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in one bowl.

• Wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk oil, both sugars, and eggs until smooth; whisk in pumpkin and vanilla.

• Combine dry and wet ingredients: Fold dry into wet just until the flour disappears.

• Then pour the cake batter into the bundt pan and smooth the top.
• Bake 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15–20 minutes in the pan,

• Then invert the pumpkin bundt cake onto a rack and cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Melt butter with brown sugar and milk over medium heat; bring to a gentle boil and stir 1–2 minutes until smooth. Off heat, stir in vanilla, cool 5–10 minutes, then whisk in powdered sugar until pourable.

• Thin the glaze with a splash of milk if needed.
• Drizzle the brown sugar glaze over the cooled cake, top with chopped pecans, and let set before slicing.

My Recipe Testing Tips

• Use a whisk instead of a hand mixer. This gives you more control and helps prevent overmixing, which can lead to a dense or tough cake. Since this recipe uses oil and pumpkin puree (not creamed butter and sugar), there’s no need to incorporate air, the cake’s rise comes from the baking powder and baking soda.
• Don’t overmix: Once dry hits wet, I whisk just until the flour streaks disappear. Overmixing tightens the crumb.
• Grease every crevice of your bundt pan really well to prevent sticking. You can also dust with flour after greasing for extra security. Or, use Baker's Joy flour spray.
• Cool the cake in the bundt pan for 15-20 minutes. This allows the pumpkin cake to firm up enough to release easily. If you try to flip too soon, it may break, too late and it might stick.
• If your glaze thickens before you drizzle it, gently rewarm it or thin it with a splash of milk for a smoother pour. Don't cook longer than needed and remove from the heat right after the sugar melts and the mixture is smooth. In other wards, I let the glaze cool 5–10 minutes so it thickens slightly and clings, not runs. If it sets too much, I thin with a teaspoon of milk.
• Check for doneness with a skewer or long toothpick. Because bundt cakes are thicker than regular cakes, inserting a skewer deep into the cake ensures you’re checking the center, which takes the longest to bake.

Bundt Cake Toppings

Toppings transform this Pumpkin Bundt Cake into a showpiece—glossy, festive, and instantly holiday-ready for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any fall-winter celebration, from birthdays to anniversaries. This recipe includes a brown sugar glaze plus chopped pecans, but there are many other topping options you can choose from. Here are my favorites:

• Homemade Caramel Sauce from my Apple Bundt Cake
• Maple-Cream Glaze from my Peach Bundt Cake
• Cream Cheese Frosting from my Carrot Cake Loaf
• Dark-Chocolate Ganache from my Easter Chocolate Cake