This pumpkin bundt cake is the perfect Thanksgiving dessert! Made with only 10 ingredients and one pan, this is a quick and easy recipe that will please a crowd.
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Life with a two-year-old is BUSY. That's why there was an entire year on My Sweet Precision with zero blog posts... zilch. I had people asking me what had happened. My response? Usually a mournful head shake muttering words like "sleep deprivation" and "tiny dictator".
The reason I love this recipe is because it's simple. Everything in one pan, only 10 ingredients, and less than 10 minutes of prep work. This is the kind of recipe that my daughter and I can get on board with. This pumpkin bundt cake won't disappoint if you're in a time crunch.
Nordic Ware Bundt Pans
Nordic Ware is a Minneapolis-based company that makes AH-mazing kitchenware products. They introduced the bundt pan to America back in the 1950s. I love their products and use several of their bundt pans, cookie sheets, and cake pans in my kitchen. They have an outlet in Minneapolis that my husband and I visited a few years ago and I felt like a kid in a candy store. I've had my eyes on this classic bundt pan for a few years now. Hint… (dad do you still read my blog?) Hint...
Making a Pumpkin Bundt Cake
As far as making this recipe goes, there's no big surprises here. First you mix your sugar, oil, and eggs together in a large bowl. Then, you mix all your dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. This recipe uses an entire can of pumpkin, thank goodness. I dislike recipes that use less than a can of pumpkin and then leave you wondering what you should do with the rest.
Why You Shouldn't Over-Mix Batter
The perfect slice of cake should have a tender and delicate texture. The last thing someone wants is to bite into a rubbery and chewy piece of cake. Wanna know the science behind getting a tender cake every single time?
When you mix flour with wet ingredients, you build up gluten strands. Gluten is (by nature) chewy. In recipes where you want a tender texture, they key is to not develop much gluten. That equates to not over-mixing your batter. Take a peek at the picture below. See how there are still little pockets of dry ingredients? This is exactly how you want your batter to look for your pumpkin bundt cake!
Canned Frosting Glaze
Caned frosting is one of those things I avoid like the plague when baking. Most people won't know if you doctor up a boxed cake mix with lemon zest or an extra egg. Someone can always spot the unmistakable taste of canned frosting. The one instance in which I will use canned frosting is for a glaze on a cake. If you pop one cup of the frosting into the microwave for 15-20 seconds, you will have a pourable glaze. Glaze is used in smaller quantities so no one will know your little secret!
Did you make this recipe AND enjoy it?! If so, please leave us a ★★★★ rating below and leave any feedback in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what went well and what didn't.
Recipe
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs large
- 3 cups flour all-purpose
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 can pumpkin 15 ounces
- 1 can cream cheese frosting optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place baking rack in center of oven. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition. Transfer batter to prepared bundt pan.
- Bake cake on a cookie sheet for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes our clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan and then invert onto cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- For frosting, spoon about one cup of frosting into microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 15-20 seconds until frosting reaches a pourable consistency. Slowly pour frosting over cake.
Notes and Tips
Nutrition
Other Pumpkin Recipes You'll Love
Did you enjoy this recipe? Check out similar recipes on My Sweet Precision. You may like our Traditional Pumpkin Pie, Soft Pumpkin Cookies, or our Pumpkin Bread. If you make a dessert be sure to tag #mysweetprecision on Instagram!
Kathleen Bruhn says
I kind of cheated on this one and added a 1 a cup of rum to the mix. It came out delicious. I also iced it with cream cheese. Icing and cinnamon mixed and then sprinkled some chopped walnuts over the top. It came out amazing.
Heather says
That sounds absolutely delicious! I love your twist with the rum and cream cheese cinnamon icing—what a creative (and tasty!) idea. The chopped walnuts on top must have added the perfect crunch. Thanks so much for sharing your version!
Heather says
Fantastic!
Antonia says
Your cake is very beautiful and elegant, Heather! It really looks delicious! I hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving!
Heather @ Sweet Precision says
Thank you Antonia! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. Hope you have fun in your kitchen :)
Antonia says
Thank you! :D
Jess says
I have the exact same bundt pan Heather--it was a splurge gift for myself and I'm so glad that I did. This cake looks delicious! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving :-)
Heather | My Sweet Precision says
So funny thing, I’m pretty sure I remember you posting desserts using this pan! Isn’t Nordic Ware awesome? I would seriously outfit my entire kitchen with their products if I could afford it! I hope you have a lovey Thanksgiving too Jess. I look forward to seeing your holiday creations this coming Friday!