This flavorful pumpkin Bundt cake is incredibly moist, perfectly spiced, and dotted with melty chocolate chips. Prefer your pumpkin cake plain? Leave the chocolate chips out!
Moist and dense, this pumpkin Bundt cake delivers BIG. It’s not quite as heavy as a pound cake or quite as light as my favorite pumpkin cake. Instead, it meets somewhere in the middle and this place is called calorie-town. Worth every bite.
How to Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake
The process couldn’t be easier; this Bundt cake requires just 2 bowls: 1 for wet and 1 for dry. The ingredients are all kitchen staples like flour, spices, vanilla, and eggs. You could even swap some of the individual spices for homemade pumpkin pie spice!
Like when making this apple cake, we use oil in today’s Bundt cake, so you’re guaranteed a super moist cake from the start. You can sub unsweetened applesauce for half of the oil. Just as moist!
My favorite part is that the cake uses an entire standard can of pumpkin. I always appreciate recipes calling for the whole can because you’re not stuck with a random 1/4 cup leftover. (Though it’s so good stirred into oatmeal with a splash of pure maple syrup!)
You need a 9.5 or a 10-inch pan for this pumpkin Bundt cake. This is an affiliate link, but I’m glad to share my favorite Bundt pan with you. Super quality, heavy-duty, great price, never warps, awesome rubber grips. I’ve been using it for years and, honestly, it’s just as durable as day 1.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake Toppings
Like the best things in the kitchen life, we’ll shower this pumpkin Bundt with salted caramel. Even though salted caramel is incredible on its own, it doesn’t hold anything to the delicious pumpkin crumb underneath. And that’s saying a lot!
Other topping options:
- Brown Butter Icing from my Peach Bundt Cake
- Maple Icing from my Maple Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Ganache
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Brown Sugar Glaze from my Apple Bundt Cake
- Orange Glaze from my Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
Instead of chocolate chips, this pumpkin Bundt cake would be fantastic with the incredible spiced swirl in this chai cinnamon swirl Bundt cake.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 12 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This flavorful pumpkin Bundt cake is incredibly moist, perfectly spiced, and dotted with melty chocolate chips. Prefer your pumpkin cake plain? Leave the chocolate chips out!
Ingredients
- 2 and 3/4 cups (344g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 and 1/2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil*
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional topping: salted caramel, brown butter icing, or maple icing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9.5 or 10-inch Bundt pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and chocolate chips together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. Batter will be thick.
- Bake for 55-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with just a couple lightly moist crumbs. This is a large, heavy cake so don’t be alarmed if it takes a little longer in your oven.
- Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours inside the pan. Then, invert the slightly cooled Bundt cake onto a wire rack or serving dish. Allow to cool completely before drizzling with salted caramel (or icing) and serving.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for a couple days and/or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make the entire cake ahead of time (before topping with salted caramel or icing). Cover cooled cake and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before icing and serving. Baked cake can be frozen up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature (if desired) before icing and serving.
- Special Tools: KitchenAid Hand Mixer | Glass Mixing Bowls | Wire Whisk | Bundt Pan
- Spices: Instead of 1/2 teaspoon each ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, you can use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. (You will still add the 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.)
- Oil: Instead of 1 cup of oil, try 1/2 cup (90g) unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 (120ml) cup oil. The cake is just as moist.
- Pumpkin: I strongly recommend using canned pumpkin puree over homemade in this recipe, though 2 cups of homemade would work just fine. I found the flavor better with canned. I prefer Libby’s brand for this cake.
Keywords: pumpkin bundt cake
Reader Questions and Reviews
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As per the recipe,I left the cake upside down in the pan for 2 hours. It is very brown. It doesn’t look like the bottom of the cake. I can’t taste. It’s for someone else’s Thanksgiving. Should I have left it in the pan right side up? What happens if u don’t cool it in the Bundt pan? Please help me. Thank you.
Its so good! I used rounded measurements on the spices because Im scared of under spiced. Also it did not come out of my bundt pan in once piece so I ended up making whipped ganache to hide the mistake. I sprinkled cinnamon on top and it took the ganache to the next level!
★★★★★
I’ve contacted you twice today & haven’t heard back. The outside of my Pumpkin Bundt cake is very dark. Is this correct? My earlier posts from today have disappeared.
Hi Terri, we just haven’t had a chance to get to your comment yet – so sorry! If it’s very brown, it may be over-baked. How did you grease the pan? We recommend using a non stick baking spray like pam – using butter can lead to an overly-dark exterior. If you don’t cool the cake in the pan, the cake is much more likely to break when inverting. We recommend cooling in the pan for best results!
My Bundt was very brown but it was delicious and super moist, not burnt at all. I think it was brown from the spices and dark brown sugar. We loved it – I served it to guests for dessert. I am going to make another.
This cake is the bomb. Made it twice..
Rave reviews.dont change a thing .
Thank you for such inspiring recipes. I’m a vegan so I like that most of your recipes uses oil. I omit eggs and replace with extra fluid and I turns out marvelous. No one knows there’s no eggs. I tell them afterwards. Made it with eggs and without eggs.
★★★★★
this was wonderful. No one could figure out what the “secret ingredient” was. I don’t have cloves. nutmeg or allspice but doubled the cinnamon and ginger. It was very well received. thank you for a great recipe that will now become part of my repertoire.
★★★★★
This was great. It was pretty chocolate-y, so I’ll lower the amount of chocolate chips. Love all the spices, makes the pumpkin in depth.
★★★★★
Use milk chocolate chips not dark or semi-sweet. Much better.
I’ve just taken my cake out of the oven. It rose in the center but not around the edges. I used a dark bundt pan, which I know better and should have adjusted the temperature. I wasn’t thinking. I’ve had a hard time finding a light colored pan. Should I have to use this pan again can you tell me how to adjust the temperature and how long I should bake it?
I took a bite off the top and it tastes delish! Also, I can’t decide which glaze or icing so I’m going to section it off and try all three. This was a test cake so my husband and I can choose which glaze we like best and enjoy.
Hi Sherry, for next time, you can try reducing your oven temperature by 25 degrees. Keep a close eye on it and you can use a toothpick to test for doneness. We’re glad you enjoyed it and let us know which glaze you and your husband like best!
Sally, I was short on time so I opted for the Maple Icing. My husband loved it. In fact I think I’m going to use that on my cinnamon rolls instead of the cream cheese in the future.
I had to cut a sizable slice off of the top in order to flatten the bottom . Surprisingly it didn’t shorten the cake too much. I’m hoping I have time to try the other two toppings today and use the left over cake as the test cake. Do you Reccomended any additional ehancements? Also, I used dark brown sugar as I usually like the intense flavor. I think I’ll try light brown next time so not to mask the pumpkin flavor. I love pumpkin
Thank you for for interest in us bakers experiences.
Hi Sherry, so glad you loved the cake! You could also add a cheesecake swirl like we do in the carrot Bundt cake. Enjoy!
Sally, I tried the caramel and cinnamon glaze and just used confectioners sugar on a piece. I love the cinnamon but the simple confectioners sugar wasn’t bad if you’re looking for something simple.
We ADORED this recipe! I used Milk Chocolate Chips instead of semi-sweet. Used dark brown sugar. I also made Maple Icing with our homemade maple syrup. The cake stayed moist for its entire “life” of three days. It’s fabulous. I will be making it again.
Can I used butterscotch instead of the chocolate chips,
Yes, sure can!
Thanks!
I made this today for Canadian thanksgiving. I skipped the chocolate chips and did the maple icing/glaze. Amazing!! Very flavourful and moist.
★★★★★
Can this be made with nuts instead of chocolate chips?
Hi Wen, yes, you can use nuts instead if you’d prefer. Enjoy!
I read a comment about omiting the eggs and replacing with extra liquid…could you tell what liquid and how much? I can’t wait to try baking it!
We haven’t tested that but let us know if you do!
How much does this cake rise? My bundt pan is full almost to the brim! I’m a little afraid to put it in the oven.
Hi Rosie, the cake will rise a bit in the pan — you’ll want it filled about 2/3 of the way full. If it’s too high, you can scoop out some of the batter and use it for a few muffins on the side.
Could I use raisins in the same amount as the chocolate chips instead?
Absolutely!
Hi –
I am such a fan of your recipes and trying this one today. just put it in the oven but realized I forgot the white sugar. Should I keep it going or take out and mix it in?
Hi Helen! If it’s already in the oven, we wouldn’t take it out to re-mix. The cake may be less sweet and moist but let us know how it turns out!
This was such a hit I’ve had to make it twice!! Was delicious and easy to make, my friends were very impressed!
★★★★★
First off Sooooo good! I made 2 of these to use as a pumpkin found in Preppy Kitchen’s recipe. I hadn’t tried either cake before, but this one looked better to me. I made the first one and my daughter and I tried the top, since it was being cut off to flatten it, we both agreed the chocolate chips were too overpowering. I made the second without, it has much more flavor depth, very very good. I think maybe next time I’ll use less chips, see how that works.
★★★★★
I am traveling overnight for Thanksgiving, and want to take this. I think it will be easier if I can pack it in its pan, and then invert onto a plate and add the caramel topping after we arrive at Grandma’s house for dinner. Can I let it cool and transport in the bundt cake pan, or will it get stuck?
Hi Angie, what you could try is allowing it to cool, invert it, make sure it is completely cooled and clean out the Bundt pan, then carefully place the cooled cake back into the clean Bundt pan. Hope this helps!
I am going to make this recipe today for Thanksgiving. Looks delcicious!
Two questions. First, which rack in the oven should you bake Bundt cakes and cakes in general. I hear some say the bottom rack other say the middle?
Second, should I put the Bundt cake pan on a baking sheet in the oven or just position the Bundt cake pan on the rack? Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Lauren, we typically bake Bundt cakes on the middle rack unless otherwise noted. You can just position the Bundt cake directly on the rack, but feel free to use a baking sheet underneath if you prefer!