We have a home Bible study group that meets twice a month, and everybody brings a dish to share. Since I am known as "the cake lady" in my neck of the woods, it is only right that I bring dessert. But I didn't want to bring just your average cake. I wanted something festive for fall but something you don't see everyday. I decided on this delicious recipe for Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake!
How to Make Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake
This pumpkin pecan bundt cake is actually very easy to make! Just make sure to follow the directions and use the right proportions and it should turn out lovely!
First, heat the oven to 350 degrees and then fit a standing mixer with the paddle attachment. I like to use the paddle that has the scraper on the side. Beat 2 sticks of butter ( 1 cup) , 1 cup of white sugar, and 1 cup of brown sugar on medium speed. While the mixer is whirling, add in 4 eggs one at a time.
Once the eggs are mixed in, add 1 1/2 cups of pureed pumpkin and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Beat this on medium speed just until everything is incorporated. The mixture should be thin and slightly grainy.
In a large bowl off to the side, mix together 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 teaspoon each of baking soda and salt.
Measure out 1 cup of buttermilk in a separate measuring cup and bring everything back to the standing mixer. While the mixer is on low to medium speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin. Alternate adding the flour and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.
The pumpkin pecan Bundt cake batter should be thick, creamy, and very aromatic!
Gently mix in 1 cup of chopped pecans.
Grab the Bundt pan and make sure it is well greased and floured. I use shortening to grease my Bundt pan because I find that baking spray doesn't always reach every crevice. Make sure you don't skip this step because there is nothing worse than a big chunk missing out of a beautiful Bundt cake!
Add the batter to your pan and bake on the top rack of your oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Use a kabob stick or skewer to make sure that the pumpkin pecan Bundt cake is cooked thoroughly.
Note: The batter will billow out of the Bundt pan and you will have to cut the extra off.
When the Bundt pan is cool enough to touch, use a long serrated knife to cut off the top so that the cake is level with the pan. Then invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely upside down. This may take about an hour. Don't frost the cake until it is room temperature or cooler.
Make sure to let it cool upside down so that the cake can pull away from the sides. Gravity will help the cake release as an entire unit.
How to Make Brown Sugar Icing
It could be that the brown sugar icing on top of the pumpkin pecan Bundt cake is the best part...and I say that because when I served this dessert at the potluck, I saw many people scraping the frosting off the top and sides to put onto their plates. It's addicting! Thankfully it is also easy to make too!
In a medium sauce pan and stirring frequently, bring the following ingredients to a boil over medium heat.
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
Boil these ingredients for about one minute. Gradually whisk in a cup of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. The mixture will be thick but smooth.
Immediately pour the icing over the pumpkin pecan Bundt cake. It will dry very quickly, so be sure to pour in a steady, uniform motion. Make sure you have the cake on the stand you are going to serve it on because the frosting will drip to the bottom. You may also want to have some crushed pecans nearby to sprinkle on top while the icing is still wet.
You will likely have plenty of icing left over, so you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. If using it later, just add a little heat and cream to soften it up.
And viola! There you have one of the most perfect and festive desserts for the autumn season! Wouldn't this be great to pull out after Thanksgiving dinner? You can definitely make it a day ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for later.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, you may be interested in this Entire Thanksgiving Spread. I give 16 Tasty Thanksgiving Recipes, including 3 main courses, multiple side dishes, and lots of desserts. If you want to branch out and try something new, you might like my 3 Step Tuscan Style Roasted Turkey. But there are also classics like Creamy Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Traditional Pumpkin Pie.
Save this pin for later because I KNOW you'll want to make this dessert eventually. My group of friends was so bedazzled that I quickly decided I would make it again in the next week or two. It's so yummy! Happy cooking y'all!
Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Icing
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake
- shortening to grease the bundt pan
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Brown Sugar Icing
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make the Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake
- Throughly grease a Bundt pan with shortening, being careful to grease all crevices.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and fit a standing mixer with a paddle attachement. Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended. Add in the pumpkin and vanilla and mix until everything is incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set that near the standing mixer. In a separate container, measure out a cup of buttermilk.
- Turn the mixer on low and add 1/4 of the flour mixture. Once it is incorporated, add in 1/3 of the buttermilk. Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixture, beating just until blended with each addition. Begin and end with the flour.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom. Pour in the chopped pecans and stir.
- Spoon the batter into the Bundt pan and bake on the top oven rack for 50-60 minutes or until a kabob stick comes out clean.
- Once slightly cooled, use a serrated knife to level off the top of the cake. Invert the Bundt pan onto a wire rack and let the Bundt cake completely cool upside down.
Brown Sugar Icing
- Bring the brown sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir frequently. Once boiling, let boil for one minute stirring regularly. Remove from the heat..
- Using a whisk to constantly stir, gradually add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir until thick but smooth.
- Place the bundt cake onto your desired serving platter and use the icing immediatley on top of the bundt cake. Add the icing in a uniform matter as it dries quickly. You may want to have more chopped pecans nearby to add to the top.