Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Glazed Pumpkin Bundt Cake
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
Instructions
For the cake:
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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.
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Whisk together oil, butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
For the butterscotch glaze:
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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!
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*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.