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This pumpkin bundt cake recipe is the perfect dessert to bring to your family’s Thanksgiving! It’s an easier than ever cake recipe that’s semi-homemade and full of pumpkin, spices, and brown butter. This is a heavenly moist cake recipe you’re going to love.

pumpkin bundt cake with frosting on top in a white platter


Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Making pumpkin cake in a bundt pan is super simple – and this one is so flavorful because I made it and the frosting with brown butter! This recipe is a piece of cake! (literally) This is probably one of the easiest and quickest cake recipes you will ever make. I love a bundt cake at fall time – or all year – because they’re so pretty. This one freezes perfectly too so you can make it ahead.

This pumpkin bundt cake recipe starts with a cake mix and is full of brown butter, pumpkin spices, and a delicious brown butter glaze!

ingredients in pumpkin bundt cake

Important Ingredients Needed

  • Butter- Making cake mix with butter makes the cake so much richer in flavor. Since we’re making brown butter you want to use unsalted butter.
  • Yellow cake mix – Use your favorite brand
  • Pumpkin Puree- Do not use pumpkin pie mix for this step or it will not turn out as desired, be sure that you use actual pumpkin puree.
  • Spices: You can use pumpkin spice or make your own pumpkin pie spice with ground nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and allspice

How to Make Pumpkin Bundt With Cake Mix

  1. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt and keep stirring until the butter turns slightly brown. This should take about 5-7 minutes, be sure to stir it often. During this process, the butter will foam up, then reduce. When it starts to brown move it quickly, butter tends to burn fast so keep an eye on it. 
  2. Measure ⅓ cup of the browned butter and reserve the rest to make the glaze. Mix browned butter with cake mix, pumpkin puree, large eggs, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice in a large bowl. Mix until the batter is completely smooth.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and make for 35-38 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely before you remove the pumpkin bundt cake from the pan.
  4. Place the set-aside brown butter in a bowl. If it has solidified, no worries! You can heat it in the microwave for a few seconds until it’s liquid again. Then, whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add heavy whipping cream a spoon at a time until it is the right consistency. (around 4 tablespoons.) Drizzle over the pumpkin bundt cake.
pumpkin bundt cake with frosting on top in a white platter

Expert Tips

  • One of the most important steps in making a bundt cake is to grease your pan properly! If this isn’t done in the right way it could end in potential disaster, so take some care. Make sure you use a baking spray and not a cooking spray, they are different. When greasing the pan use short small bursts instead of long sprays. 
  • To avoid air bubbles in your pumpkin bundt cake, before you put in it the oven lay the pan on a dish towel and tap on the top of the pan around 5 to 10 times. This allows the air in the batter to be worked out before it bakes. 
  • You should let the bundt cake completely cool before applying the glaze. Even if the bundt cake is just slightly warm the glaze will melt off of it while applying. 
  • You can also bake this in a 9×13-inch pan.
  • Store loosely covered on the counter or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

FAQs

Does pumpkin bundt cake need to be refrigerated?

You don’t actually have to refrigerate your pumpkin bundt cake. It will stay good loosely wrapped on the counter. If you want it to stay fresh for a bit longer you can definitely put it in the fridge.

How do you put cake batter in a bundt pan?

Layer the thick batter into the pan and press it all the way to the bottom using a bowl scraper. You want to ensure it’s fully reaching the bottom so it maintains that classic bundt cake shape. 

Can you make mini bundt cakes?

Yes, you can! You can find miniature bundt cake pans at the store and then divide the batter up amongst them for some teeny cute cakes!

Slice of Brown Butter Pumpkin Bundt on a plate

Brown Butter Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe

5 from 5 votes
This Brown Butter Pumpkin Bundt Cake is FULL of the best flavors! A soft, moist, and EASY pumpkin cake is filled with brown butter and topped with a brown butter frosting!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield 12 servings
Serving Size 1 slice

Ingredients
 

  • 11 tablespoons (154g) unsalted butter
  • 1 box (approx 15 ounces) yellow cake mix
  • 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • 4 large eggs
  • cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground  ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3-5 tablespoons (45-75ml) heavy whipping cream or milk
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray (the kind with flour in it).
  • Place the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Melt, then stir often, cooking until the butter browns. This will take 5-7 minutes or so. Stir often. The butter will foam, then reduce. Once it starts to turn brown it burns quickly so be sure and watch it. Remove from heat.
  • Measure out 1/3 cup of the browned butter. Reserve the rest for the glaze. Place the 1/3 cup brown butter with the cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, granulated sugar, and cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice in a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth. The batter is thick.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35-38 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pan and glazing.
  • To make the glaze: Place reserved brown butter in a bowl. If it has solidified, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds until it becomes liquid again. Whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency. (I used 4 tablespoons.) Drizzle over cake.
  • Store loosely covered on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Video

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 5980IU | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Bundt Cake is an easy cake recipe made with cake mix and pumpkin – a brown butter cake with brown butter frosting! This is such an easy recipe for the holidays.

Last Updated on October 28, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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66 Comments

  1. I made this bunt cake and it was out of this world good! I added cinn chips to the mix for a little extra flavor. I am going to make it and put it into little bread pans for a gift for the Thanksgiving holiday! I also added some maple to the frosting to add a little pop!

  2. I recently came across your Easy Lemon Butter Cake recipe and gave it a whirl. Not only is it easy to make ,but it is delicious. It stays moist for days. Anyone who likes lemon baked goods will love it. Thats a good thing for me as I have two lemon trees that provide me with all the lemons I can use. Give it a try , you won’t be disappointed.
    Connie in California

  3. I made this cake last night and it’s sitting in my office right now, just waiting for a decent hour to dig in. It came out perfectly. My icing doesn’t look as decorative as yours, but it tastes freaking amazing. I hope my office mates like it as much as I do!

  4. That glaze is KILLING me! I just want to dip my finger in it right now! Browned butter – check. Pumpkin -check. Cake – double check. I love it all! Happy Happy Birthday my friend!

  5. YUM! pumpkin+browned butter…yes. also read your love story…so sweet. And Happy Birthday! It’s my birthday this weekend too! Cheers to fall birthdays!

  6. And here I was thinking I was a HUGE genius to combine brown butter and pumpkin for an upcoming recipe.  Great minds, friend.  Great minds.

  7. I love this doctored up cake mix! I enjoy pumpkin but not cloves. Usually, pumpkin pie spice mix or prepared pumpkin cake mix contains cloves. Its wonderful to have an option besides “from scratch”! Adding brown butter to the cake and frosting is a wonderful idea! All warm and toasty!

    (Happy Birthday to you and to the blog! May the year ahead be full of good health, smiles, and accomplishments! )

      1. I am not sure not being able to see it, but if it seems thinner than canned, then probably not. That being said you can also strain it – and this is the one recipe to try it in because cake mixes are really forgiving!

  8. It’s funny….I feel like I was always comfortable with getting older until I actually started getting older. And then not so much! I love your perspective, though….and I love this cake, too! Hope you had a fabulous birthday, Dorothy!