Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Make a guilt-free dessert full of festive fall flavors with this easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake! It’s covered in a fluffy cream cheese frosting and topped with chopped pecans.

Table of Contents

• Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• What You’ll Need
• How to Make The Best Pumpkin Bundt Cake
• Tips for Success
• Variation Ideas
• How to Store Leftover Bundt Cake
• Can I Freeze This?
• Get the Recipe

Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting – need I say more? This fall-tastic treat feels like a guilty pleasure, but in reality, it couldn’t be more healthy! The dairy-free cake is made with minimal sugar and plenty of fall spices. The main star of the show, however, is the pumpkin puree. It provides the ultimate pumpkin flavor while keeping the cake extra soft and moist.

On top of that, you have the light and velvety cream cheese frosting that’s made without any powdered sugar. It uses Greek yogurt to give it that fluffy frosting texture and maple syrup to sweeten it up. You’ll never make another cream cheese frosting again!

Finally, the cake is topped off with a sprinkle of chopped pecans. You can toast them for added flavor or substitute them for another chopped nut of your choice. Either way, this cake is bound to turn some heads and delight some taste buds.

What You’ll Need

Let’s get into the ingredients you’ll need for this decadent pumpkin dessert. The cake and the frosting both keep things super simple.

For the Pumpkin Bundt Cake

• Pumpkin Puree: I recommend using canned puree over homemade puree, which tends to be too watery.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: This gives the cake moisture and works with the eggs to bind together the ingredients.
• Vanilla Extract: Use a good quality extract for optimal results.
• Eggs
• Brown & White Sugars: Altogether, this cake only uses 1 cup of sugar.
• Flour: Go for white whole wheat flour. You can use a gluten-free alternative if necessary.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: This fall staple is a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice.
• Ground Cinnamon: To enhance the pumpkin spice flavor even more.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: You’ll need 1 teaspoon of each to give your cake the perfect rise.
• Salt: To help the cake retain moisture.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream Cheese: Softened.
• Plain Greek Yogurt: This adds a lovely tang as well as creaminess.
• Vanilla Extract
• Maple Syrup: Be sure to use pure maple syrup and not the artificial stuff.
• Pecans: Chopped into pieces of your desired size.

How to Make The Best Pumpkin Bundt Cake

You’ll be shocked at how easily this dessert comes together. The cake and the frosting each use a single bowl!

• Prep for Baking: Grease and flour a bundt cake pan, then set it aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Make Batter: Use a whisk to mix together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, applesauce, vanilla extract and eggs in a large bowl. Then, stir in the white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
• Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes.

• Let Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before flipping it out onto a rack to cool completely.
• Make Frosting: Use an electric hand mixer to blend the cream cheese, greek yogurt, vanilla and maple syrup in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
• Assemble & Serve: Frost the top of the bundt cake and sprinkle it with the chopped pecan pieces. Slice and enjoy!

Tips for Success

Before you gather up your ingredients and get ready to bake, take a minute to look over the tips and tricks below. Your cake will come out flawless!

• Do Not Use Pumpkin Pie Filling: Make sure you’re using pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling for your bundt cake. Pumpkin pie filling has a bunch of added ingredients that will mess with the flavor you’re going for.
• Soften the Cream Cheese: Your frosting won’t combine properly if the cream cheese is cold. Either leave it at room temperature until it’s softened or soften it in the microwave.
• Grease Pan Well: It’s very important to grease and flour the bundt pan thoroughly. This ensures that your cake will slide out of the pan with ease.
• Let the Cake Cool Completely: Hold off on frosting your cake until it’s fully cooled. If it’s still warm, the frosting could melt and get messy.

Variation Ideas

There’s a lot you can change about this recipe if you’d like to put your own spin on it. I have some simple and delicious suggestions!

• Caramel Pumpkin Cake: Feel free to top your cake with a drizzle of caramel sauce in place of the frosting. You could also simply dust it with some powdered sugar. Either way, your cake will look lovely!
• Pumpkin Nut Cake: Want to add some more crunch to your pumpkin bundt cake? In addition to sprinkling crushed pecans on top of the frosting, fold some into the cake batter.
• Whipped Cream Topping: As much as I adore this cream cheese frosting, sometimes I’m more in the mood for whipped cream. The super easy coconut whipped cream in this recipe is another great topping option for your cake!
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake: Folding chocolate chips into cake batter is never a bad idea. And any kind of chocolate goes great with pumpkin spice!

How to Store Leftover Bundt Cake

Leftover cake should be refrigerated in an airtight container. If you’ve left off the frosting, you can keep it at room temperature instead. It will last for 4-5 days. Feel free to bring your cake to room temperature before serving it if it’s been sitting in the fridge.

Can I Freeze This?

Yes, but only if you leave off the frosting. The unfrosted cake can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrap the entire cooled cake or individual slices in plastic wrap, then place the cake into a sealed freezer bag. Remove as much air from the bag as you can before sealing it. Thaw out frozen cake in the fridge before frosting and serving.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Krista
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Make a guilt-free dessert full of festive fall flavors with this easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake! It’s covered in a fluffy cream cheese frosting and topped with chopped pecans.

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Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Bundt Cake

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/3 cup chopped pecan pieces

Instructions

1. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan, then set it aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Use a whisk to mix together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, applesauce, vanilla extract and eggs in a large bowl. Then, stir in the white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes.
4. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before flipping it out onto a rack to cool completely.
5. Use an electric hand mixer to blend the cream cheese, greek yogurt, vanilla and maple syrup in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Frost the top of the bundt cake and sprinkle it with the chopped pecan pieces. Slice and enjoy!

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Notes

Recipe adapted from Shugary Sweets

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 189
• Sugar: 20 g
• Sodium: 259 mg
• Fat: 7 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Carbohydrates: 29 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 42 mg

Keywords: pumpkin cake, cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar, pumpkin spice cake

More Pumpkin Recipes

From breakfast to dessert and beyond, these healthy pumpkin dishes are a fail-proof way to celebrate fall.

• Skinny Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crust
• No Bake Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars
• Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes with Candied Bacon