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This Pumpkin Bundt Cake tastes JUST like the seasonal cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes! The cream cheese frosting is to die for!
Featured with this recipe
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake Ingredients
- Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add Some Chocolate Chips
- Decorating with Frosting
- What is So Special About Bundt Cakes
- Frequently Asked Questions for Bundt Cakes
- Substitutions or Add-ins for Pumpkin Cake
- Tips for this Copycat Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Storing Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Give It A Halloween TWIST!
- More Pumpkin Recipes
- How to Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe
Take this Pumpkin Bundt Cake to your next holiday gathering and you will have people hunting you down and BEGGING for the recipe. This cake is so moist and the frosting is to die for! I based this recipe off of Our Version of Nothing Bundt Cakes’ Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake. It’s so easy to make for holiday parties and meals and really brings all the spices and flavors of the season.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake Ingredients
All the ingredients are simple and easy to make! Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Whisk or blend together and it is that easy!
- Spice cake mix – Make this pumpkin bundt cake recipe even easier by using this cake mix. Using a box cake instead of a flour mixture makes it easier.
- Pumpkin spice instant pudding mix – This is the secret ingredient that makes this cake moist and flavorful all in one box! Pumpkin spice pudding is only available during this time of year so I always make sure to stock up on it whenever I see it in the store.
- Sour cream – Creates a soft texture in the cake and adds flavor!
- Eggs – Using large eggs helps combine this mixture.
- Water – Keeps the dough moist and helps the cake mixture stay light and fluffy.
- Oil – Binds together the dough and keeps it moist.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – These are mini chocolate chips to keep a sweet bite in the cake.
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
Once the cake has cooled, making your frosting in a bowl of a stand mixer and add it to the top of the pumpkin pie spice cake. This combination is the icing on the cake!
- Cream cheese – Keep your cream cheese on the counter to help it soften and reach room temperature.
- Butter – Soften the butter ahead of time and blend together. This will thicken and add texture to the frosting.
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract for more flavor!
- Powdered sugar – This is a smooth sweetness to the frosting.
Add Some Chocolate Chips
This Pumpkin Bundt Cake is moist and full of pumpkin flavor. The mini chocolate chips give it an added boost of flavor. Why is it that pumpkin and chocolate taste so good together?! The perfect combination!
Be sure to use MINI chocolate chips. They work best in this cake. The regular size chocolate chips will sink to the bottom of the bundt pan and won’t distribute through the cake batter as evenly as the mini chocolate chips.
Decorating with Frosting
Now let’s talk about the frosting for this cake. It is UNREAL. I have to stop myself from eating it all out of the bowl before I get it on the cake! It is my go-to frosting recipe. I use it for our Homemade Oreos, our Coconut Cream Cake, and Our Version of Nothing Bundt Cakes’ White Chocolate Raspberry Cake.
It is thick, creamy, and SO delicious. I like to refrigerate this cake overnight because I think it tastes better that way, but if you don’t have time, just make sure the cake cools all the way before you frost it.
What is So Special About Bundt Cakes
Bundt cakes have several characteristics that set them apart from other cakes: Bundt cake pans have fluted edges, making the cakes look elegant even before decoration. The pans have a hole down the middle, which means the cakes come out with a donut shape. The hole helps the cakes cook more evenly.
“I made this cake for a work event. It was a hit. Very moist and perfect.”
-Laura
Frequently Asked Questions for Bundt Cakes
Follow the directions listed in the recipe card and use a mini bundt cake pan for the batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For this recipe, try not to fill the pan more than three-quarters full with batter. Every cake recipe rises differently, and you don’t want it spilling over the sides of the pan.
Once the pumpkin bundt cake is baked and ready to be removed from the oven. Allow it to cool in the bundt pan for about 10 to 15 minutes. Hold a wire cooling rack over the base of the cake and allow the cake to fall away from the bundt pan.
Yes, sometimes the bundt cake doesn’t always work. Using a non-stick metal pan helps. Also, greasing the pan and adding flour to help it from sticking and letting it be able to let the cake cool before letting it drop.
Substitutions or Add-ins for Pumpkin Cake
This is the perfect cake to make adjustments too if needed! Make it simple or make it more elaborate with extra ingredients or seasonings to help add flavor and deliciousness!
- Sometimes finding the jello mix is hard to find at the grocery store. You can substitute using vanilla pudding mix.
- If you need to use canola oil or olive oil instead of vegetable oil will work too. Using pumpkin puree will work too on a 1:1 ratio.
- Yellow cake mix will also work and add in cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, or pumpkin pie spice to the batter.
- Add in some pecans or walnuts to the pumpkin bundt cake for an extra texture!
- Add some ginger, sea salt, ground nutmeg, or pumpkin spice to the mix for some added flavor.
- Drizzle on a maple glaze.
- Sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon over the top.
Tips for this Copycat Pumpkin Bundt Cake
I used a 12-cup bundt pan for the cake that can feed up to 16 people depending on how big or small the slice is. This cake is perfect for parties and holidays!
- If you are using a larger can of pumpkin, a 15 ounce can is made up of 1 ¾ cups of pumpkin.
- Use cooking spray to grease the pan very well. This is key to help the bundt cake fall out properly on a wire rack.
- Add the batter into the bundt cake slowly and carefully. You will want the cake batter to reach each of the groves in the pan. Carefully move the pan around to have the batter reach each curve from the pan.
- It is always best to make sure you do not over mix the batter. This will leave the cake dense and dry.
- When ready to let the cake fall out of the pan, use a soda can to let the bundt pan rest on while the cake is about to fall.
Storing Pumpkin Bundt Cake
It is best to keep your cake in an airtight container or wrapped in saran wrap to keep it tight and fresh in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, allow the bundt cake warm to room temperature.
If you are wanting to store your bundt cake in the freezer, wrap the cake in plastic wrap then aluminum foil or a freezer bag to keep it from getting freezer burn. This will freeze for 2 to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Give It A Halloween TWIST!
We made this Pumpkin Bundt Cake into a fun Halloween dessert in our Halloween Dinner Ideas post. Just make a few easy adjustments and you have a “spider” cake! It was the star of the show at our Halloween dinner and everyone wanted to know how it was done. It is SO. EASY. I guarantee it will be a huge hit at your next Halloween party or potluck!
- Start by dividing the frosting in half. Use half of the frosting and lightly frost the whole cake then take the other half and add ⅓ cup dark cocoa powder and black food coloring and mixed until it turns black.
- Next, get the black frosting and put it in a gallon Ziplock bag, snip off the end and pipe 8 spider “legs” going from the center to the edges.
- Then, fill in the middle to make the spider “body” and a little dollop for the head. Last of all, use a little extra of the white frosting to pipe little fangs and then use 2 Red Hots for the eyes.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you are in the mood for more pumpkin or holiday treats, try out these delicious pumpkin recipes.
Read More: The Best Pumpkin Desserts
How to Make Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Video
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Ingredients
- 1 spice cake mix
- 3.4 ounces pumpkin spice instant pudding mix (1 package)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese (2 packages) softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, water and oil. Mix until combined.
- Stir in mini chocolate chips and pour into a well-greased bundt pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool for 20 minutes. Remove from pan, cover with plastic wrap and let refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or overnight.
For the frosting
- In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in vanilla.
- Gradually add in powdered sugar while stirring. If it looks too thin (stiff peaks do not form), add more powdered sugar. If it looks too thick add 2 Tbsp of milk.
- To frost the cake, cut the corner off of a ziplock or piping bag, fill bag with frosting.
- Pipe from the outside bottom third of the cake, over the top, and down to the center circle. Once you have gone all the way around, fill the middle with a swirl.
Notes
How to Store Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Keep your cake in an airtight container or wrapped in saran wrap to keep it tight and fresh in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, allow the bundt cake warm to room temperature.
- Store your bundt cake in the freezer by wrapping the cake in plastic wrap then aluminum foil or a freezer bag to keep it from getting freezer burn. This will freeze for 2 to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Can we use a different pudding mix, cant find the pumpkin spice pudding for the bundt cake:(
White chocolate, vanilla or butterscotch would work!
Can you make this into a layered cake?
We haven’t tried it that way, so I can’t say. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Good Morning,
In your comments you say: If you are using a larger can of pumpkin, a 15 ounce can is made up of 1 ¾ cups of pumpkin.
I do not see any canned pumpkin in the recipe. Nor do I see it in the pictures.
Do you use canned pumpkin? Also, I found pumpkin spice pudding mix on Amazon. I will have 4 boxes. LOL
I am not sure which comments you are referring to, but some people opt to substitute pumpkin puree for oil. There is no pumpkin puree in the original recipe.
Sounds like this will be a fall favorite in our house I love the fall weather here in the pacific northwest but I could not find pumpkin spice pudding
If you can’t find the pumpkin spice pudding, the caramel, vanilla or butterscotch go well with the flavors in this cake!
Made this tonight using my new Mini Bundt pan from Pampered Chef. Baked for 17 minutes and yield was 10 cakes. So excited! Wish I could show a photo!
This was absolutely fantastic! All I could find was a 3 oz pumpkin spice instant pudding mix- I don’t think anyone could have noticed the difference! I also added cinnamon chips and used milk instead of semi sweet chocolate chips (simply my taste preference). I will be making this again and again! Thank you so, so much!
I made this exactly as recipe Thanksgiving 2019, it was awesome.
I only make desserts I’ve mastered and family wants every holiday like my English Shortbreads in varied flavors, Eggnog Butter Bundt cake and my Tirmisu ( been told to sell to restaurants, Lol)
Oh and Belgium Dark Chocolate Chip Pecan cookies.
I liked this cake but I don’t like cream cheese icing. They do.
I’m going to do a ganache icing instead.
Thx!
Apparently it is impossible to find that pumpkin spice pudding. I know I can use just plain vanilla but was wondering if anyone has tried using the white chocolate pudding (which is hard to find but I have a stock pile of it)?
That sounds like it would be delicious! Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Hi there! I would like to incorporate pumpkin purée into this recipe. Any ideas of how that would work best? Maybe pumpkin instead of oil? Thanks!!
Yes! You can substitute pumpkin for oil at a 1:1 ratio.
I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday. I had to make the following substitutions:
Vanilla pudding for pumpkin spice
Yellow cake mix for spice cake
Melted Irish butter instead of oil
Heavy cream instead of water
Walnuts instead of chocolate chips
I added pumpkin spice to the batter.
This cake turned out really good::) Thanks for the recipe
Been holding on to the mixes for some months now and I finally made it today! I only had ~3/4 cup Of sour cream but it was enough and the cake turned out great! Moist and yummy and I didn’t even add frosting!
My expectations were low and of course it’s not EXACTLY like nbc’s, but it’s also not going to cost you forty dollars! I’m very happy (and my husband too! We already ate a quarter of it! *good with coffee).
Thank you for sharing this recipe and bringing an out-of-reach luxury closer to the rest of us. 💖
Been holding on to the mixes for some months now and I finally made it today! I only had ~3/4 cup Of sour cream but it was enough and the cake turned out great! Moist and yummy and I didn’t even add frosting!
My expectations were low and of course it’s not EXACTLY like nbc’s, but it’s also not going to cost you forty dollars! I’m very happy (and my husband too! We already ate a quarter of it! *good with coffee).
Thank you for sharing this recipe and bringing an out-of-reach luxury closer to the rest of us. 💖
Thank you so much for sharing!! We are so glad you liked it as much as we do!
Tried this recipe without the chocolate chips. My local stores didn’t carry the pumpkin pie spice pudding so I added a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the recipe. Turned out great, everyone love it and talked about how moist it was. I also only made 1/2 of frosting recipe and worked great. Wish I knew how to insert a picture of this cake and how it turned out.
I’m so glad this was a success for you! Thank you for sharing the substitution idea!
I made this cake for a work event. It was a hit. Very moist and perfect.
I used this frosting recipe (delish!) on another bundt cake recipe and found that I had twice as much needed even though I am generous froster. ( is that a word?)I think 1/2 recipe of frosting would be plenty. Thanks
I can’t find pumpkin flavored pudding, however the spice cake has pudding already in it. Should I still add pudding to the recipe?
Yes, you still add dry pudding mix. I you can’t find pumpkin flavored you can just use vanilla 🙂 Hope this helps!
Cam you use only jello pumpkin pudding mix? I have Royal delights pumpkin spice desert mix is this the same?
Really wanna Make this please reply thanks
Donna
Yes, if it is the Royal Pudding Dessert Mix, it should work just fine! Good luck!
Woweeee, I’ve made 3 of your recipes this week and I literally gained 5 lbs! , You’re recipes are a Sweet dangerous addiction … everything turned perfect even cook times! Thanks so much I’m a pumpkin crazed person if you know a great pumpkin chocolate chips bread pudding with eggnog sauce or chai spice egg nog sauce bread pudding Please lemme know!:) You’re AMAZing!!
Donna- your comment just made me laugh so hard. I am so glad you have enjoyed our recipes so much! Those bread pudding ideas sound INCREDIBLE! I will have to experiment around and see what I can come up with. What a huge compliment you have given us, thank you so much! xo
Can I use batch pumpkin pudding instead?
WHere did you find the pumpkin ping?
Would like to make mini bundt cakes with this recipe. What do you suggest for a baking time so they will be a moist bite of deliciousness?
Try checking them after 15-20 minutes. We haven’t made them in “mini” form yet so I can’t tell you exactly. I just know you will need much less time. Hope this helps!
This looks incredible! Wanting to make this for Thanksgiving, but can’t find pumpkin spice jello-brand pudding anywhere! Walmart had another brand, but it came in a larger box. How much of th pudding mix would you suggest I use? 1/2 cup? A full cup? Not sure how much comes in the standard Jello pack.
Thanks!
Usually the Jell-O comes as appx. 5 oz. You should be fine doing about a third to half cup of any brand. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Thanks making tomorrow
for Thanksgiving
I can’t find pumpkin spice jello ???? Do you think butterscotch would work?? Or pumpkin purée in some way?
You can definitely use butterscotch or even vanilla.. there is plenty of the pumpkin spice flavor in the cake mix so you can use a different pudding and you should be fine 🙂 Hope this helps!
Looks so yummy I’m sure gona try this one ,thank you
In the picture, what is sprinkled on top of the cream cheese frosting?
It is just a little cinnamon sprinkled over the top 🙂
can this cake be frozen before icing? I would like to make a few for the holidays in advance.
Absolutely! That is a great idea!
Unsalted or salted butter?
We usually use salted. Hope this helps!
Anybody try this in cupcake form? I don’t have a bundt pan.
I love To try but in Venezuela we can’t find sour cream, do you think I could use jogurt instead? Thanks
PLain yogurt or Greek yogurt should work fine as a substitute 🙂 Hope this helps!
Looks so good – thank you. Have a great week!
I just made this recipe in the mini Bundt cake pans . I bake for exactly 15 minutes and they came out perfect . I , too, could not find the pumpkin pudding mix so I used vanilla pudding and added 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. I thought I had plenty of sour cream but only had a half of a cup . I used it and substituted in the other half with vanilla Greek yogurt. They came out delicious ! Thank you for the recipe.