Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 box Spice cake mix; 1 cup Canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix!); ½ cup Water; ⅓ cup Vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon Pumpkin pie spice (see notes if you are using a yellow cake mix); 4 large Eggs; Orange food coloring (optional); 1 cup Powdered sugar; 2 ounces Cream Cheese (room temperature); 2 tablespoons Milk

published on November 8, 2022

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This easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe starts with a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin and ends up as a delicious, pumpkin spice cake that makes an amazing fall dessert.

slice of cream cheese frosted Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Pumpkin Bundt Cake is moist, lightly spiced cake made with just a few simple ingredients. Both of us get bored with pumpkin pie holiday after holiday and this beautiful fall cake is an easy way to change things up while still getting a big helping of that pumpkin spice flavor.

This cake is easy enough for a beginner and tastes like you’re a master baker. It starts with a box of cake mix and then we add in pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, eggs, and oil to make the ultimate fall dessert.

If you love pumpkin spice season we’ve got a great recipe for making your own pumpkin spice, then you can use it for a delicious fall breakfast with this Pumpkin Spice Dutch Baby and a super quick and easy recipe for Pumpkin Pie Dip. It’s always a hit at parties!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Spice cake mix – I love the extra punch of spice flavor this cake mix has but you can also use a yellow cake mix in a pinch. Just make sure you read the recipe notes because you’ll want to add some extra pumpkin pie spice.
Canned pumpkin – Make sure it is not pumpkin pie mix!
Water – Ensures the cake is moist.
Vegetable oil – You could use another light tasting oil if you prefer.
Pumpkin pie spice – We have a simple recipe for making your own pumpkin pie spice or you can find this at your local store.
Eggs – They help hold the cake together and give it a little fluffiness.
Powdered sugar – This is for the glaze, that delicious cream cheese icing you’ll pour over the finished cake.
Cream cheese – A little bit of cream cheese is the perfect addition to the icing on top!
Milk or heavy cream – Just a little is all you need to thin down the icing, so it is a pourable consistency.
Orange food coloring – This is totally optional, but it helps give the cake a uniform orange coloring. You won’t need much, just enough to tip the brown color of the spice cake mix to a slightly more orange tone.

Easy Bundt Cake With Cake Mix

Step 1 – Prep the oven and pan- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare a 12 cup Bundt pan by greasing and lightly flouring it. See “How to Prepare a Bundt Pan” below for detailed instructions.

Step 2 – Mix everything together- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry cake mix, canned pumpkin, water, vegetable oil, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs. Add in the orange food coloring, stirring well in between drops, until your cake takes on an orange color. Mix it all together until well it reaches the desired consistency. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and lightly tap the pan against your counter a few times to level everything out.

Step 3 – Bake- Bake for 35-55 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Once you take the cake out of the oven, allow it to cool for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Then let it cool completely.

Step 4 – Ice the cake – Mix the powdered sugar and cream cheese together. Add the milk or cream 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach a thick but pourable consistency. Slowly drizzle the icing over the Bundt cake and then let it sit for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with a slice pulled out

Can You Use Cake Mix For a Bundt Cake?

Yes! Cake mix can be used to make a Bundt cake. There are often instructions on the back of the cake box but for this recipe you’ll want to follow our instructions.

You’ll want to use a box of cake mix that is made for two 9-inch cake pans. That is the perfect amount of mix for a standard 10 cup or 12 cup Bundt pan.

If you don’t know how many cups your Bundt pan can hold, you can use a measuring cup to measure the amount of water the pan holds. The pan will hold the same amount of batter.

Best Bundt Pan

We used a 12 cup Bundt pan for this recipe. Alternatively you could use a 6 cup mini Bundt pan (note that the bake time will be shorter!). You’ll have enough batter for two batches, and you’ll want to fill each mini Bundt with about 1/4 cup of batter. Either way, you can make a great looking pumpkin Bundt cake perfect for sharing this holiday season.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with cream cheese frosting

How Do You Prepare a Bundt Pan for Baking?

It is important to prepare the Bundt pan well so the cake won’t stick to the bottom of the pan. To do this use cold butter or shortening and your fingers for the best results. Work a very thin layer of the butter/shortening into every crevice of the pan. You should not see big chunks of the butter/shortening just a thin, transparent coating.

Once the pan is coated in butter/shortening use a small amount of flour to dry cake mix to coat the inside with flour. To do this, sprinkle a small amount on the bottom and then roll it around the pan until it is evenly coated. Pour out the excess flour when you are done.

How Long Do You Let a Bundt Cake Sit Before Flipping It?

We suggest letting the cake cool for 15 – 20 minutes before removing it from the Bundt pan. You don’t want it to be too hot because it will crumble as it comes out of the pan but you also don’t want it to cool completely because it tends to stick to the pan a bit more.

You’re trying to hit that sweet spot where it is still slightly warm but has cooled enough that it can withstand being moved around a little.

Once your Bundt cake has cooled, place your wire rack over the base of the cake and flip it.

What is the Best Way to Put Icing on a Bundt Cake?

Bundt cakes have all sorts of bumps and ridges so the easiest way to frost is to drizzle the icing over the cake like a thick glaze. You can also skip frosting completely and dust the cake with powdered sugar, but we love the added flavor of the cream cheese icing!

To make it easier, you may want to use a glaze rather than actual icing. You want it thin enough that you can pour or spoon it over the Bundt cake, but not so thin that it just pours off and puddles at the bottom.

If you do choose to use icing, you will want to thin it, so it is thick but pourable. For icing you will want to consider using a piping bag to pipe the icing onto your Bundt cake.

Does Pumpkin Bundt Cake Need to be Refrigerated?

The cake itself doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Just wrap tightly or store in a covered cake container.

However, ours uses cream cheese frosting which has both cheese and milk. It should be refrigerated after frosting.

Can I Leave a Bundt Cake Out Overnight?

Yes! You can leave the unfrosted cake out for up to 48 hours. Just make sure to cover it.

Once you use the cream cheese frosting, you will need to refrigerate the cake.

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Servings: 16

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 55