![Southern Living Pumpkin Bundt Cake sliced on a plate to serve](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.southernliving.com/thmb/WyzR-EHQRC0vDu6DjwnLU_csfxI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/pumpkin-bundt-cake-molly-bolton-hero-2-94c5facaf80948eb8302775d094f2634.jpg)
Molly Bolton
I inherited a variety of things from my grandmother, or “Juju” as we called her, including her strong will, even stronger opinions, a love for the holidays, a beautiful armoire in my dining room, and her recipe box. Full of recipes either hand-written, loaned to her from a friend, or clipped from a magazine, each recipe I assume must be worth making because my grandmother thought it worth keeping.
As I flip through the worn out index cards of my grandmother’s recipe box, I know each one has a story to tell. Whether it be as simple a tale as “my friend June made this at the church potluck and it was to die for,” or as memorable as an heirloom recipe passed down from previous generations, there’s always a story.
Upon receiving my grandmother’s recipe box after her passing, one of the very first cards I pulled from that box was a recipe for a pumpkin Bundt cake. I don’t know the story behind this recipe, and to tell you the truth, I don’t recall her ever making it. I could have just as easily made a more familiar recipe like her fire crackers or butternut pound cake, but somehow this pumpkin Bundt cake felt right. So, much like my strong-willed grandmother, I took matters into my own hands and decided to give this recipe a few tweaks and a new story.
Now, I make this pumpkin Bundt cake every year. It’s one my children have come to expect when the days get chilly, and it’s one my sister-in-law requests every Thanksgiving.
It’s the cake I make when I have an extra can of pumpkin in the pantry, and it’s one I make when I want to make something comforting and special for people I love. But most importantly, the story of this recipe is that every year it calls me back to my grandmother’s recipe box. And it’s one that I hope my children and grandchildren will one day pull from my recipe box and think of me, just as I think of my grandmother.
![pumpkin bundt cake recipe card in handwriting](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/KhugQ2Y1KW3MSbeq-Ugn_Vn-Dgw=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/pumpkin-bundt-cake-molly-bolton_bonus-recipe-card-f4be9d9be7ec465fbf45cfea00d03044.jpg)
Molly Bolton
Recipe Tips
I could give you a list as long as my arm of reasons why you should make this pumpkin Bundt cake. The taste, the texture, the scent from your oven, the round of applause you’ll get from your guests as they take their first bite, etc.
If you’re looking for a fall-flavored crowd pleaser, this is your cake. Full of pumpkin flavor, perfectly spiced, and topped with a maple glaze, this cake hits all the high notes when it comes to cozy fall baking.
Here are a few tips that will make the process even easier:
- Pumpkin: Pumpkin adds flavor, a beautiful orange hue, and makes this cake extra moist and tender, making it the star and workhorse of this recipe. With that in mind, be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. We also recommend avoiding canned organic pumpkin as it tends to be too watery.
- Glaze: When it comes to the glaze, a sweet maple icing rounds out the fullness of fall flavor in this cake. However, if a glaze isn’t your thing, don’t worry! This cake is just as delicious without the glaze or with a simple dusting of powdered sugar. Baker’s choice!
- Maple syrup: Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not artificially flavored pancake syrup.
How To Store Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze slices of this Bundt cake, wrapped in storage wrap and aluminum foil, up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes, then warm slightly to enjoy.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake:
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Baking spray with flour
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3 cups all-purpose flour
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2 tsp. ground cinnamon
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1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
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1 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
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1 tsp. ground allspice
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3/4 tsp. kosher salt
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1/2 tsp. baking powder
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1 cup vegetable oil
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2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
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3 large eggs, at room temperature
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1 tsp. vanilla extract
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1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
Maple Glaze:
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3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
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1/3 cup pure maple syrup
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1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
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1/8 tsp. kosher salt
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1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
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1 tsp. vanilla extract
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Chopped walnuts, for garnish (optional)
Directions
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Prepare oven and Bundt pan:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. Assemble your ingredients.
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Whisk together dry ingredients:
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and baking powder to the bowl and whisk to combine.
Molly Bolton
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Mix cake batter:
In a separate large bowl, beat the vegetable oil and sugar together until fully combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla.
Molly Bolton
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Finish batter:
Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the dry ingredients and pumpkin puree to the batter, mixing on low speed after each addition just until the ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
Molly Bolton
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Bake the cake:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Firmly tap the pan on the countertop a few times to release any air bubbles.
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Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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Prepare Maple Glaze:
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Place the butter, maple syrup, ground cinnamon and kosher salt in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Allow to cool for 2 to 4 minutes, until slightly thickened.
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Spoon the warm glaze over the cooled cake. If the glaze starts to set in the pan before drizzling over the cake, simply place the pan back on the heat for a few seconds and whisk until smooth). Garnish with chopped walnuts, if desired.
Molly Bolton