This moist and flavorful pumpkin bundt cake is topped with a pecan pie glaze. Have the best of both worlds in one dessert!
I actually made this cake way back in August and the smells in the kitchen that day immediately brought me to Fall. I realize that is something people say all the time, but it’s especially apparent when you are baking with the traditional pumpkin spices mid-Summer. There is something so comforting about the aromas. Because really, on a cool, crisp day, one where you are running around in your favorite pair of jeans and knee-high boots, what could be better than coming home to a kitchen that smells of cinnamon and a freshly baked Autumn dessert?
For me, the pumpkin cake can truly stand alone. It’s moist and flavorful and completely fulfilling sans topping. However, this is a baking blog, and I wanted to bring something different to the table than the traditional pumpkin bundt cake. So I thought about other fall desserts and what people love to eat and my head went to Thanksgiving. It might not be my favorite thing in the world but no one can deny that pecan pie is a Thanksgiving crowd pleaser. So I brought the two together! The pecan pie glaze is just like a traditional pecan pie filling; sweet and goopy, full of pecan chunks. Pour it over the pumpkin cake and you add an extra sweetness and crunchy texture to the dessert. Plus, a the bundt cake dripping with pecan pie glaze will look beautiful set up on a cake stand on your dessert table.
- 240g (~2¼ cups) cake flour
- 7 ½g (1 ½ teaspoons) baking soda
- 5g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 2g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- ½g (½ teaspoon) ground cloves
- 2 ½g (½ teaspoon) salt
- 170g (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 122g (½ cup) unsweetened applesauce
- 234g (~1 cup packed) brown sugar
- 213g (~1 cup) granulated sugar
- 200g (2 large) whole eggs at room temperature
- 425gs (~2 cups) canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 10 milliliters / 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease and flour a 12 or 14 cup bundt pan; set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt; set aside
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, applesauce and sugars in large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy; scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition; beat in pumpkin and vanilla
- Gradually add flour with mixer on low speed just until combined; do not overmix
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake 46-50 minutes until a knife inserted into cake comes out clean
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack; set aside to cool while preparing pecan pie glaze
Cake can be made day before serving, just wait to make the glaze until that day. Store leftovers tightly wrapped with seran or in an airtight container up to five days. Cake can also be made and frozen in advance but glaze should be made day of serving in that case as well.
- 80g (~3/4 cup) chopped pecans
- 57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 53g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees; line a baking sheet with tin foil and spread the pecans out on pan
- Toast pecans in oven for about 7 minutes, being careful not to burn; set aside
- In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; stir in pecans and pour over pumpkin cake
I can never decide between pumpkin and pecan pie. Thanks for putting me out of my misery!
I love that you combined pumpkin cake with the flavors of pecan pie. Looks so delicious!
Thanks, Bianca!
Holy!! My two favorite pie flavours smooshed into a cake?!? Ohhhhhhh yeah.
You definitely brought a little something extra to the table with this! WOW. I need this in my life ASAP! Thankfully I have pumpkin in the fridge and can easily pick up pecans on my way home from work….
I had a slice of pumpkin cake over the weekend for the first time ever and now I’m hooked! Can’t wait to try your recipe when I get home xo
You had me at pumpkin <3
Pumpkin, spices and pecans taste so good together.. I can only imagine how yummy this cake tasted. Wish I had a slice to devour right now. Pinned!
Love the pecan pie glaze! Perfect pairing with pumpkin!
This is a gorgeous bundt cake! I really need to get a bundt pan. I just love the glaze too!
For the glaze, was it meant to be confectionery sugar and not granulated?
Hi Teresa – it actually IS granulated sugar because the texture should be more like a pecan pie filling than a typical glaze. If you do try using powdered sugar, please let me know how it turns out!