Okay so there’s nothing spooky about this cake … except for how tasty it is! It’s just we’re celebrating Halloween and not only does this cake taste like a pumpkin, but it kind of looks like one thanks to my bundt pan. Too bad it doesn’t have a stem, and then it would be a doppelganger for a pumpkin, but taste a lot better 🙂
Even if you don’t make this in time for Halloween, I suspect it would be the star of any Thanksgiving table or brighten any old day between now and then. Although, does pumpkin really have a season? I think not.
I used to roast sugar pumpkins, puree them, and bake with that, but honestly, I don’t have time for that anymore. Maybe I’ll do it again one day, but from the unpredictability of the quality of the pumpkins to the extra time and steps, it had actually made me shy away from pumpkin treats.
If you are up for the extra work, go for it! The flavor from roasting pumpkin and baking with it is unparalleled, but canned pumpkin is a close second and a fair trade off for the savings in effort. I actually don’t see many sugar pumpkins these days either. For me, it was either use canned pumpkin and make this cake or not use canned pumpkin and not make this cake.
The choice was simple … clearly.
Now that we’ve gotten the pumpkin out of the way, let’s talk about the supporting players. Pumpkin doesn’t taste like a lot, so I added a bunch of cinnamon, ginger, and a bit of cardamom, which has strangely become my new favorite spice. Go figure!
I couldn’t leave well enough alone, so I added a bunch of pecan streusel in the center as well as on top in the pan, which becomes the bottom of the cake. Streusel makes everything better!
Then I really couldn’t leave well enough alone so I glazed it with a simple cinnamon drizzle and some caramel sauce, and finished everything with toasted pecans.
No need to go trick or treating when you have this cake around!
Spooky Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
Cake
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup olive oil (mild flavored)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Streusel
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup chopped toasted pecans
Glaze
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2–4 tablespoons milk (I used almond, use what you love)
Caramel sauce for drizzling
Toasted pecans for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a bundt pan.
Make the cake. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin and sugars. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Whisk while streaming in the oil. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and spices, mixing until just combined.
Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and pepper. Mix in the butter and oil, mashing it together with a fork. Once crumbles form, stir in the pecans.
Pour half the batter for the cake into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the streusel mixture, follow with the remaining cake batter, and then the remaining streusel. Bake for about 1 hour until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs, but not batter. Cool in pan about 15 minutes before carefully loosening the cake and inverting onto a serving platter. Cool completely.
Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Slowly add milk until a pourable consistency forms. Drizzle over cake, followed by caramel. Sprinkle with pecans before glaze hardens.
Cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Cake may also be frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour or in the microwave about 1 minute.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Love the looks of a bundt cake — such a neat shape. And this one sure looks spooky good. Perfect for the season! 🙂
I love how stunning your site and photos have really grown over the years–it’s a real treat to be back! Spiced pumpkin bundt cake is a treat, too–happy autumn!!
Ala, that means so much, especially coming from you! I’m glad you’re back 🙂
Oh my goodness! What a spectacular cake!! Happy Halloween….
★★★★★