Yes I’m aware it’s still August and pumpkin spice season is not yet upon us. When it comes to pumpkin spice… I say it’s free game all year long. Of course the flavors embody fall in every way possible, but who says you can’t enjoy it even when it’s 90 degrees outside? Why is it only acceptable to eat it between the months of September through December? We did get a slight cool front a couple of days ago here in Atlanta. It got down to 80 degrees… and in the 70’s in the early morning. That slightly cooler gust of wind sparked a little pumpkin craving in me. So what did I do? I drove to the nearest grocery store and bought every can of pumpkin purée on the shelf (there wasn’t much there anyways since only crazy people like me are buying it this time of year). Anyways, I wanted to bake something fall inspired but didn’t want to slave over it all day in the kitchen. I really wanted to make my pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls (linked below)…but didn’t want to wait around all day while the yeast did it’s magic. That recipe is a bit more work than most but so worth it. They are the best cinnamon rolls I’ve had in my life. So once I crossed that off the list of things to bake…I thought, why not a cake? So I dug out my bundt pan and got to work.
The moment I said cake, my son sprinted to the kitchen to be my side kick. The kid loves cake…and loves to help out and “mix” even more. “MOMMY LETS MIX IT!”, he screams. So we did just that — we mixed everything together for our perfect pumpkin spice bundt cake. By the time we put the cake in the oven, there were eggs and flour all over the place lol. That short bit of mixing and prepping the cake was probably the highlight of my sons day. So a little mess is no biggie to me.
This cake is pretty basic. Flour, sugar, eggs and oil. Plus a lot of pumpkin spice to make the cake taste like a bite of fall. Just don’t forget to oil your pan with cooking spray…or the cake won’t come out clean when you turn it over. Once it’s out of the oven (after about 40-45 minutes) then it’s important to let it sit and cool off for 30 minutes to an hour. If it’s too hot when flipped it out of the pan, there’s a bigger chance it will fall apart. So make sure you be patient and let it sit. During that time, you can start mixing together the frosting. Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature and to add in the sugar slowly. Other that that…it’s pretty much a no fail recipe. Just take your time and follow the steps and you’ll have the most delicious moist pumpkin cake.
I admit it, I’ve eaten this cake for breakfast a time or two. What’s better than a spiced cake and a cup of coffee? Nothing. Nothing can compete with that combo. This cake is also the perfect thanksgiving sweet treat. Instead of pumpkin pie, switch it up and bring this cake instead. Fall birthday for a friend or family member? This cake is a very festive option and very pretty too. It’s perfect for any occasion this upcoming fall.
Other pumpkin spice sweets you won’t want to miss out on:
PUMPKIN SPICE CINNAMON ROLLS WITH CREAM CHEESE MAPLE ICING
PRODUCTS I LOVE:
PUMPKIN SPICE BUNDT CAKE WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves: 10-12 slice (one large bundt cake)
INGREDIENTS:
For the cake:
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin purée
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
+ cooking spray for pan
For the icing:
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp maple extract
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz. (1 lb box) powdered sugar
+ chopped pecans for topping
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the sugars and oil in a mixing bowl and turn the mixer on low speed (with the whisk attachment) till it’s creamed together. Slowly add in eggs one at a time till each are well combined. At this point add in the pumpkin purée and mix till just combined. Turn mixer off.
- In a separate large bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on low speed. Do one cup at a time to prevent large clumps from forming. Once mixed together, add in all the spices. Mix till just combined.
- Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray and carefully transfer the batter. Smooth out the top if necessary.
- Place in the oven on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through. Be careful not to overcook. Use a toothpick to gage doneness of cake if necessary.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes to an hour. Careful turn the cake over on a cake stand or a large plate.
- For the icing: Add cream cheese, maple syrup, maple extract, vanilla extract and milk to the mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed till well combined. Scrape sideband bottoms while mixing.
- Slowly and carefully add in the powdered sugar. Once well combined, pour over the top of the cake. Sprinkle on toasted pecans. Enjoy!