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 spice for a cake you’ll want to make over and over!

pumpkin pound cake on marble and wood cake stand with orange cloth underneath
pumpkin pound cake slice on white plate with orange napkin

Best Pumpkin Pound Cake

While pumpkin things start appearing before summer is really even over, it’s just finally beginning to feel like Fall around here. Finally in 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 cake has plenty of both. There’s more than a cup of pumpkin puree in the cake to make sure it has great pumpkin flavor. And the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves gives it plenty of warmth and flavor to compliment the pumpkin.

The final 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!

Ingredients

The ingredients used are fairly straight forward and you likely have most things on hand. 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 Cake

  • Unsalted Butter: Should be at room temperature. 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 cakes texture. This cake uses both brown sugar and granulated sugar for the perfect mix.
  • Eggs: Large eggs.
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves gives this cake warmth and spice.
  • Salt: Never underestimate salt. It adds flavor to your baked goods.
  • Pumpkin Puree: I experimented with the amount of puree and 1 1/4 cups was the perfect amount for optimal flavor, while not overwhelming the cake with too much moisture.
  • Vanilla Extract: For additional flavor.

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: The perfect compliment to a pumpkin cake.
  • Butter
  • Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar helps to thicken the icing.
  • 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 cup and seeing if it’s thick enough.
  • Vanilla Extract: For nice flavor.
pumpkin pound cake on marble cake stand with pumpkin at base
pumpkin pound cake slice on white plate with a bite taken

How to Make Pumpkin Pound Cake

  • Prep: Preheat the oven and prep your bundt pan with plenty of non-stick baking spray.
  • Cream Butter and Sugar: Cream the butter and sugars together until it’s light in color and fluffy in texture, about 5 minutes.
  • Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined before adding the next. This slow process ensures they all incorporated evenly into the batter.
  • Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, spices and salt and mix until just combined.
  • Add Pumpkin: Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
  • Bake: 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 Icing: To make the icing, combine the cream cheese and butter.
  • Add Powdered Sugar: Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
  • Add Cream: Add the vanilla extract and cream, as needed. You only want to add as much cream as needed.
  • Drizzle Icing: Drizzle the icing on 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 for Success

  • Cream Butter & 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.
two slices of pumpkin pound cake on white plates
Print
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pumpkin pound cake slice on white plate with orange napkin
Recipe

Pumpkin Pound Cake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Pumpkin Pound Cake is dense, but tender and moist, just like a pound cake should be! It’s loaded with pumpkin and spice for a cake you’ll want to make over and over!


Ingredients

Pumpkin Pound Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups (450g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup (207g) sugar
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 cups (390g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (291g) pumpkin puree
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups (201g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 23 tbsp heavy cream


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C) and prepare a 10-14 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
  2. In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and both sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure things are well combined.
  4. With the mixer on low, carefully add the flour, spices and salt and mix until just combined.
  5. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
  6. Spread the batter evenly into bundt pan and bake for 75-85 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but clean.
  7. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes, then invert cake onto cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
  8. When cake has finished cooling, make the icing. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until well combined and smooth.
  9. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
  10. Add the vanilla extract and one tablespoon of cream. Mix until well combined and smooth. Add additional cream, as needed, to get a drizzling consistency.
  11. Drizzle the icing over the cake and serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 578
  • Sugar: 58 g
  • Sodium: 230.5 mg
  • Fat: 26.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 80.6 g
  • Protein: 6.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 132.5 mg

Keywords: pumpkin pound cake

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Recipe rating

12 Comments
  1. Angie

    Indescribably Delicious! Light, moist, the spices are perfect and easy to make. My family loves this cake and wants me to make it into cupcakes without the icing. This recipe is a keeper once again. Thank you!

  2. Michelle

    Absolutely Delicious! The flavor and texture are perfect. I made it in small loaf pans so I could give them to my neighbors, and next time I’ll make it in a bundt pan. I followed the directions to a tee, and this recipe did not disappoint!

  3. Shelly Bartz

    This looks soooo good. Definitely want to try! Is it possible to use pumpkin purée for simplicity? If not, I’ll try as written.

  4. Diane

    I just made this and WOW! It’s SO good. Followed the recipe exactly as written. How should this be stored? Does it need to be Refrigerated and can I freeze it?

    1. Lindsay

      Nope! I actually mentioned it within the post. There’s no rising agent and it’s not necessary in a pound cake. I much prefer it without one.

  5. Melissa

    This recipe looks delicious! I was wondering, is it possible to bake this in a regular loaf pan? Would I have to half this recipe?

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29