Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – “Cinderella Cake”

This moist Pumpkin Bundt Cake is the ultimate pumpkin dessert. Loaded with pumpkin flavor and cinnamon, this great cake is slathered in a rich cream cheese frosting and dotted with toasted pecans, this fall classic doesn’t get any better than this.

This, scratch, pumpkin cake is to die for! I knew the minute I snatched a taste of the batter before it hit the oven that this recipe was a winner. The aroma while it baked was intoxicating, and that cream cheese frosting?! Swoon! And it’s been a favorite of mine to bake every fall since then.

The first time I made this cake was back in 2015. It was our dessert on Halloween night.  Each year for Halloween I’d cook up all kinds of soups, have a wide array of breads and crackers to go with it, and a dessert to enjoy. The grandparents were always over, and my niece and whoever else decided to pop in that day.  That year, my daughter, Josie, had 6 girlfriends over to eat, trick or treat, and sleepover night.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This moist spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake makes the perfect fall treat. I’m sure it will be one of your new favorite pumpkin recipes. How can it not? It bakes up soft and moist with loads of pumpkin flavor. The cream cheese frosting rounds out the flavoring while the pecans add that nutty taste and some crunch. 

pumpkin bundt spice cake 

It should come as no surprise that my favorite fall treats all include pumpkin. Whether it be pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, pumpkin muffins, or regular pumpkin cake, I find pumpkin desserts are the perfect dessert to celebrate the season. 

If you love this pumpkin bundt cake, you are sure to love these too: Pumpkin Zucchini Streusel Bread, Pumpkin Spice Air Fryer Biscuits, or this Pumpkin Spice Dump Cake.  

 

pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese frosting

If you aren’t familiar with baking in a bundt pan, don’t be put off as it makes a super moist cake that when removed from the pan looks great. Once you add the tangy cream cheese frosting it really makes the perfect fall dessert. Ideal for a treat alongside your afternoon coffee or tea or fancy enough to serve at your next holiday table. 

Ingredients for pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese icing

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable 

To make the Cake:

• Sugar – White granulated sugar is used to sweeten this cake.
• Eggs – Any kind of eggs are good to make this pumpkin cake. Let them come to room temperature before using them. 
• Vegetable oil – Choose a mild flavored vegetable oil or use canola oil.
• Flour – Use all-purpose flour.
• Baking soda – Baking soda helps the cake rise.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds some sweetness and a touch of spice. 
• Salt – Add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor.
• Pumpkin puree – Make sure to buy canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract for the best flavor. 

To Make the Frosting:

• Cream cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese, softened, for a rich flavored frosting. You can use low fat but you won’t get the same consistency. 
• Butter – Unsalted butter, softened.
• Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar, this is what makes up the bulk of the frosting.
• Vanilla – invest in a bottle of pure vanilla extract. You won’t regret it!
• Pecans –  Use pecan pieces, chopped.

How to make a pumpkin bundt cake from scratch 

Here’s how to make the absolute best pumpkin bundt cake. 

Prepare the Cake: Beat sugar and eggs in a large bowl until creamy and light in color. Add oil, continuing to beat. 

Combine dry ingredients with a whisk.

Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Then add the pumpkin and vanilla. 

Mix well.

Pour the cake batter into the greased bundt pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a baking rack to cool completely. Once cool, frost with homemade cream cheese frosting.

Prepare the frosting: In a medium bowl, blend softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy using a whisk or electric mixer.  Next, add the vanilla and then add the powdered sugar until the desired consistency is achieved. You may need to add more to achieve the thickness you prefer. 

Frost and top with toasted pecans before the frosting sets.

Leftover bundt cake can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and placed on the kitchen counter for 3-4 days.

You can also store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. In the fridge, the cake will last for up to a week, and in the freezer 3 months. 

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this pumpkin bundt cake recipe, make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

FAQs about this recipe for pumpkin bundt cake

• What’s the difference between a cake and a Bundt cake? A Bundt cake is a cake that is baked in a special cake pan called a Bundt. A Bundt cake pan is round with a hole in the middle. There are also grooves in the pan so the cake comes out with a few indentations.
• Can you use a bundt pan for any kind of cake? Technically you can bake any type of cake in a bundt pan however the baking time will differ from a square baking pan so if you choose to use a bundt pan, watch the cake carefully.
• Should I let the bundt pan cool before taking out the cake? It is best to let the cake cool slightly before turning it over and taking it out of the pan to cool the rest of the way. 
• Why is my Bundt cake soggy? If you find your cake is soggy it could be because you didn’t bake it long enough. Also, when you remove the cake from the oven it is best to place it on a wire rack to allow the air to circulate underneath the cake to cool it down. 
• Can you use Pam to grease a bundt pan? Yes, you can use Pam to grease a bundt pan however some research tells me that it may lead to a build-up on your bundt pan making it sticky. You can use an olive oil spray or wet a paper towel with olive oil and wipe down the insides of the pan instead of using Pam. 
• Is it better to take a bundt cake out of the pan hot or cold? It is best to allow your cake to cool slightly before attempting to remove it from the pan. 

Substitutions

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

• Use brown sugar if you like instead of white sugar.

• Try toasted walnuts instead of pecans or for a nut-free option use pumpkin seeds or leave it plain. 

• If you don’t have any cream cheese on hand, make a buttercream frosting, this coffee buttercream frosting would taste great.

• Skip the frosting and serve this pumpkin bundt cake with some homemade pumpkin butter. Perfect for a fall brunch.

 

Tips & Tricks

• Mix in your favorite type of chocolate chips; milk, semi-sweet, or dark will all add a nice chocolatey flavor.

• Add a touch of warm spices like allspice or nutmeg, or mix up a batch of homemade pumpkin pie spice blend.  

• Make mini pumpkin bundt cakes using mini bundt pans.

• I like the taste of Philadelphia cream cheese but any kind will work. 

More Bundt Cake Recipes to Love

Do you love your bundt pan? Me, too! I have all sorts of ways to use it. Here are some of my favorite bundt cakes recipes:

• Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake with Brown Butter Glaze (pictured above)

• Lemon Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

• Blueberry Banana Bundt Cake

• Easy Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake

• Carrot Bundt Cake

• Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake

This pumpkin spice bundt cake is a delicious recipe that’s bound to be a huge hit whether you serve it at your next holiday gathering, family get-together, or potluck. 

This recipe was originally posted on November 4, 2015. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on October 25, 2023.