Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Glazed Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This Butterscotch Glazed Pumpkin Bundt Cake is moist, tender and bursting with warm-spiced pumpkin flavor! Add the fact that it comes together in a flash, with just one bowl and no mixer and you have a HUGE winner on your hands!

I've been tweaking this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe a bit here and there... but honestly, it was AMAZING from the very first bite! It's super moist with a tender crumb and slightly dense texture, exactly what you expect from a good Bundt/pound cake. It's also easy (actually ridiculously easy), as you just keep adding ingredients to a big bowl and give everything a whisk as you go.

I love that this cake easily feeds a crowd. It's great for picnics, potlucks, parties and work get-togethers and will disappear in the blink of an eye at any type of gathering. Just to warn you, I have to include a Spoiler Alert - don't get anyone's hopes up and promise to bring home leftovers... that just isn't going to happen!

Then again, if you're not serving a crowd, no worries! This Pumpkin Bundt Cake freezes beautifully and will be a life-saver when unexpected company shows up or when someone just needs a delicious sweet treat to get them through the day!

Ridiculously Easy!

If you're a regular Café follower, just skip on down to the next section as you know all about our Ridiculously Easy recipes. But if you're fairly new, these super easy recipes that make you look like a kitchen rock star, are one of our trademarks here at The Café. We love them as much as our readers do and use them all the time. You can read more about this special classification of recipes in this post and you can find the whole collection here.

Butterscotch Glaze

I mentioned above that the butterscotch glaze for this Pumpkin Bundt Cake is the "crowning glory". It's not an icing, a frosting or a drizzle but a true glaze that's made when the cake emerges from the oven and is brushed on after it's baked and still warm.

The delicious brown sugar-butter glaze seeps into the warm cake and transforms it from delicious to extraordinarily delicious! It keeps the cake super moist and dries to a thin, shiny, candy-like glaze. I love that it's not overly sweet, yet it won't be disappointing to the "sweet tooths" in the family!

Look at that glaze! I'm making myself hungry, writing this post.

Hey, could you stop by? If you do, I'll cut (big) slices of this Pumpkin Bundt Cake, get out my best china (blue and white, of course) and we can sit on the front porch with a cup of tea or a tall glass of cold milk, have a nice chat and enjoy this fabulous cake together! And if no one's looking, we might go back and cut another slice, just to make sure that it's "blog-worthy", although I'm quite certain you will agree that it most definitely is.

A super tender, moist crumb

There's nothing worse (well, maybe a few things) than going through all the trouble to bake and ending up with a dry cake. No worries with this Pumpkin Bundt Cake! The cake itself has a perfect Bundt cake texture; moist, slightly dense but not heavy or gooey. The butterscotch glaze seals the deal, literally!

Can I use a mixer for this cake?

Absolutely! If you prefer using a mixer for whatever reason, that's no problem. Just be sure to not overmix once the flour is added at the end.

Why did my cake rise in the center and crack?

That's the nature of a cake baked in a Bundt pan. Although I don't generally like to see a crack in my cakes, I think it looks attractive with a Bundt cake. Plus the cake is served upside down so no one will see it.

Regarding the cake rising in the center, that's also natural. This Pumpkin Pound Cake is baked at 325˚F (163˚C) instead of the classic 350˚F (177˚C) which helps prevent some of  "dome" but you will still note some rise in the center.

If you check out the pictures in this post you'll see that my cake is definitely cracked on the top and doesn't sit perfectly flat on the cake stand. If you're bothered by the rise in the center of the cake, you can slip a silicone cake strip around your Bundt pan before baking. These strips help the cake to bake more evenly.

Put this Butterscotch Glazed Pumpkin Bundt Cake on your MUST-MAKE-ASAP list!

Are you ready to celebrate the season? Just pull out a big bowl, a whisk and a bundt pan. You'll need a can of pumpkin puree for this Pumpkin Bundt Cake but you probably have everything else you need right in your pantry and/or refrigerator. Happy baking, save a piece for me!

Café Tips for making this Butterscotch Glazed Pumpkin Bundt Cake

• You will need a 12-cup Bundt pan for this recipe. If you use a smaller pan (8 or 10 cup-size), you will have a mess in your oven, with the cake overflowing the pan. If your Bundt pan is smaller, you can still make this cake. Just fill it three-quarters full then bake the rest in an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan or a loaf pan.
• Make sure you start this recipe with a LARGE bowl. It makes a LOT of batter. I learned that the first time I made this Pumpkin Bundt Cake. I started with my medium-large bowl and had to transfer it to a larger size when I realized how much batter was involved.
• It's important that you grease your Bundt pan well, getting into all the little nooks and crannies. I like to spray my pan generously with baking spray then use a small piece of paper toweling to rub it around and make sure every little part is coated. Then I lightly spray the whole thing one more time. Once, while testing this recipe, I was in a hurry and didn't follow my own instructions. Part of the cake stuck in the pan and I had to take a messy-looking cake to a family get-together. (They didn't seem to care though and wasted no time devouring the cake 😂.)
• Just a note about baking spray. It's different than non-stick cooking spray in that, instead of oil, it's a combination of shortening and flour which is perfect for greasing pans when baking. I like Baker's Joy but other baking sprays also work well. Baking spray can be found in larger grocery stores in the same area as the cooking oils and cooking spray.
• If you can't find or don't want to spend the money on baking spray, another option is to use a paper towel to rub shortening over the interior of the Bundt pan, again, making sure to cover all the surfaces. After the interior of the pan is thoroughly coated, add a small scoop of all-purpose flour then tip and tilt the pan to coat the shortening with flour. Discard any leftover flour that's left in the pan.
• You want to use pumpkin puree (also called pure pumpkin) for this recipe, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is simply, as the name indicates, pureed pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices added to the pumpkin. I like Libby's Pure Pumpkin, which is available at most grocery stores, here in the U.S.
• This recipe calls for buttermilk. Buttermilk is a magical ingredient when baking as it adds a nice tang, but it also helps tenderize glutens and gives cakes and other baked goods a soft texture and more body. It also reacts with the baking soda in this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe to ensure a lovely rise.
• If you don't normally stock buttermilk, no problem. You can make your own! Add 2 tablespoons of regular white vinegar to a 1-cup measuring container for this recipe. Fill it with milk to the 1-cup measurement and give it a good stir. Wait 5 minutes and use it in place of the buttermilk. You will see the milk thicken slightly during the 5 minutes.
• The easiest and quickest way to make this cake recipe is with a whisk. Whisks are reasonably priced and are super useful kitchen tools. I use a medium-sized whisk for this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe.
• The best way to determine if this cake is done? You can use the classic toothpick trick - insert a toothpick or thin skewer into the center of the cake and pull it out. It will come out clean or might have a few small crumbs when the cake is done. The BEST way to be absolutely certain that the cake is done is to use an instant thermometer. It will read 200-210˚F ((94-99˚C) when perfectly done.
• This cake calls for oil and butter. The oil makes the cake nice and moist and the butter adds great flavor. I don't suggest subbing one for the other.
• You will end up with more butterscotch glaze than you need. I like to serve the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with a little of the extra butterscotch sauce.

Thought for the day:

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him
and given Him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ isLord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11

What we're listening to for inspiration:

What a Beautiful Name

If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

5 from 6 votes

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Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Glazed Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This Butterscotch Glazed Pumpkin Bundt Cake is moist, tender and bursting with warm-spiced pumpkin flavor! Add the fact that it comes together in a flash, with just one bowl and no mixer and you have a HUGE winner on your hands!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Pound Cake, Ridiculously Easy

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Servings: 20 servings

Calories: 395 kcal

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup neutral-flavored oil
• ½ cup melted butter
• 2 ¼ cups light brown sugar
• 15 ounce can pure pumpkin also sometimes called pumpkin puree
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs room temp
• 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

For the butterscotch sauce

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar I've used both light and dark brown sugar with good success
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons scotch optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Get out a 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside. (See Café tips for other pan options.) Place a piece of parchment paper or foil on a work surface (for easy cleanup) topped with a cooling rack.
2. Whisk together oil, butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
3. Add the eggs and whisk again until nice and smooth. Next, sprinkle the spices, baking soda and salt over the top of the batter and whisk until smooth and no lumps of baking soda remain. Finally add the flour and whisk until it’s incorporated and the batter is fairly smooth.

4. Prepare your Bundt pan by spraying it generously with baking spray (not cooking spray). Using a small piece of paper toweling, rub the baking spray into all the grooves and crevices, including the interior of the center tube. Spray the pan all over again very lightly.

5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 70-85 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean OR until the temperature in the center of the cake reads 200-210˚F (94-99˚C) when checked with an instant thermometer. Checking the temperature is the best way to ensure that the cake is perfectly done.

6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan.

For the butterscotch glaze:

1. Combine all glaze ingredients together in a medium-large (you want a fairly large bowl as the mixture will bubble up as it cooks), microwave-safe bowl and stir to combine. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes then stir well. Microwave another 3 minutes, stirring halfway through.

To glaze the cake:

1. After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, brush the top with the butterscotch glaze. Wait one minute, allowing the glaze to sink in then invert the cake onto the cooling rack.

2. Slowly, brush the butterscotch glaze all over the cake, allowing it to sink in as you go. (You will end up with more butterscotch glaze than you need. I like to serve the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with a little of the extra butterscotch sauce*.) If, at anytime the glaze seems thick and isn't brushing smoothly onto the cake, add a bit more cream - just a teapoon or two at a time to thin it out.

3. When the cake is nicely coated with the glaze, allow it to cool completely then transfer to a cake platter. Serve and enjoy! The cake can be stored, covered or on a domed cake plate for up to a day. It also freezes beautifully!
4. *If the extra butterscotch sauce seems too thick, you can add a little extra cream to thin it out. I like to rewarm it in the microwave before drizzling it over ice cream.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Calories 395kcal

Fat 23g

Saturated fat 8g

Trans fat 0.4g

Polyunsaturated fat 4g

Monounsaturated fat 10g

Cholesterol 62mg

Sodium 269mg

Potassium 139mg

Carbohydrates 44g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 26g

Protein 4g

Vitamin A 3711%

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 55%

Iron 2%