Pumpkin Pound Cake

This Pumpkin Pound Cake is dense, but tender and moist, just like a pound cake should be! It’s loaded with pumpkin and cozy spices for the most comforting pound cake that you’ll make again and again.

The Best Pumpkin Pound Cake

While pumpkin things start appearing before summer is really even over, it’s just beginning to feel like fall around here. Finally, within the last few days, it has started to get cool. If it wasn’t already, it’s now officially time to break out the pumpkin and spices!

This pumpkin pound cake has plenty of both. There’s more than a cup of pumpkin puree in the cake to make sure it has rich pumpkin flavor. And, the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves gives it plenty of warmth to complement the pumpkin.

The bottom line is this: Pumpkin pound cake is soft and tender and totally addicting. When paired with the cream cheese icing, this cake disappears in no time. The simplicity of the icing also makes this a super simple cake to make. The perfect cake for Fall and the holidays!

Looking for more pumpkin cake recipes that the whole family will love? Try this easy pumpkin cake, this cinnamon streusel pumpkin coffee cake, this pumpkin chocolate chip bundt cake, or this pumpkin roll cake!

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Pound Cake Recipe

Pumpkin pound cake is guaranteed to become one of your new favorite fall baking recipes! Here’s why:

• Moist and tender. Every crumb of this pound cake is perfectly moist thanks to the eggs and pumpkin puree.
• Rich and sweet. The combination of rich pumpkin cake and sweet cream cheese icing is just divine!
• Perfect for fall. Filled with warm ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, this cozy pound cake is just the dessert to make when the leaves start turning and the weather gets colder!

What You’ll Need

The ingredients used here are fairly straightforward and you likely have most things on hand already. One thing you won’t find in this pound cake is a leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda. Since pound cake is meant to be dense, it’s not necessary to have something to help it rise and, in most cases, I prefer pound cake without it.

For the Pound Cake

• Unsalted Butter: This should be at room temperature before you start. If you have salted on hand, you can use that and just leave out the additional salt.
• Sugar: Sugar adds more than just sweetness and flavor, it also adds moisture and improves the cake’s texture. This cake uses both brown sugar and granulated sugar for the perfect mix.
• Eggs: To bind all of the ingredients together.
• All Purpose Flour: Be careful not to pack too much flour into the measuring cup!
• Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves gives this cake warmth and spice.
• Salt: Salt is key when it comes to adding flavor to your baked goods.
• Pumpkin Puree: I experimented with the amount of puree, and 1 1/4 cups is perfect. It provides optimal flavor, but does not overwhelm the cake with too much moisture.
• Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract is the way to go!

For the Icing

This is a fairly thin cream cheese frosting that should drizzle nicely on the cake, but not be too thin that it slides off.

• Cream Cheese: Make sure this comes to room temperature before you begin.
• Butter: Again, both salted and unsalted butter work!
• Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar helps to thicken the icing.
• Heavy Cream: Only add as much cream as needed to thin out the icing. If it gets too thin, it’ll drip right off your cake. Test it by drizzling it down the side of a bowl or a cup to see if it’s thick enough.
• Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla is preferred here, too.

How to Make Pumpkin Pound Cake

Pumpkin pound cake comes together in a few easy steps. Here’s the basic overview:

• Prep the cake pan. Preheat the oven and prep your bundt pan with plenty of non-stick baking spray.
• Cream the butter and sugar. Cream the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture (about 5 minutes).
• Add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined before adding the next. This slow process ensures that they all incorporate evenly into the batter.
• Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, spices, and salt, and mix until just combined.
• Add the pumpkin. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
• Bake the cake. Add the batter to your prepared pan and bake for 75-85 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.
• Make the icing. Start by combining the cream cheese and butter.
• Add the powdered sugar. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
• Add the cream. Mix in the vanilla extract and cream, as needed. Just add cream until your desired consistency is reached.
• Drizzle the icing onto the cake. I like to use a piping bag with a large round tip for a little more control, but you can also use a ziplock bag with a corner snipped off or even a spoon.

Tips & Recipe Variations

Read through these tips and tricks to ensure that you get the best results with your pumpkin pound cake recipe:

• Cream the butter and sugar well. When you’re creaming together the butter and sugar, don’t stop until the mixture lightens in color and texture. This indicates that it’s fully creamed. There’s no leavening in this cake, so the air added during creaming is important for the texture of the cake.
• Don’t add too much cream. You don’t want your icing to be so thin that it drips right off your cake. Only add enough to make the icing the right consistency for drizzling. You can always test it on a clean bowl or cup, as mentioned above.
• Grease the pan well. Make sure to thoroughly grease your bundt pan so that the cake doesn’t stick to the sides when you try to turn it out.
• Throw in some add-ins. Feel free to mix in chocolate chips or your favorite chopped nuts!

Serving Suggestions

You can absolutely serve your pound cake as-is, but there are a few things that you can add on as well, if you like!

• Powdered sugar. If you want to skip the icing and just dust your bundt cake with powdered sugar instead, feel free!
• Ice cream. A scoop of vanilla ice cream pairs so well with pumpkin cake.
• Fresh fruit. A slice of pound cake with some fresh berries would taste great!

How to Store

Pumpkin pound cake can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. I would not recommend leaving this cake out at room temperature because of the icing.

Can I Freeze Pumpkin Pound Cake?

Sure! Once the cake has cooled completely and the icing has set, you can freeze it in an airtight container or tight layers of plastic wrap for 2-3 months. Remember to let the cake thaw overnight in the fridge before you serve it again.

More Pumpkin Desserts

On the lookout for more pumpkin dessert recipes that are perfect for fall? You’re in the right place!

• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Pecan Praline Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Layer Cake
• Perfect Pumpkin Cupcakes

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