Pumpkin Dessert is a moist and soft pumpkin-flavored pound cake drizzled with a sweet cream cheese glaze. While both are amazing on their own, the cream cheese glaze really takes this dessert to a whole new level of deliciousness! If you love everything pumpkin, make sure you check out my Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Waffles!
Pumpkin Dessert
Yes, I described this dessert as a pound cake, but it does not exactly meet the criteria. The definition of a pound cake is “a rich cake containing a pound, or equal weights, of each chief ingredient, typically flour, butter, and sugar”. So, although it does not officially qualify as such, it has the amazing flavor and texture density that a pound cake does. And, of course, it has all the pumpkin flavor you would expect from a pumpkin dessert!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Room Temperature Ingredients: I can’t stress enough that this cake needs to be made with room temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, buttermilk). This will ensure easier mixing and helps achieve that perfect crumb.
Glaze: This glaze is totally customizable, but I do encourage you to try it as-is first. If you don’t happen to have buttermilk on hand, make your own or use whole milk instead. However, using milk will create less depth of flavor and will result in a sweeter glaze.
Pure Pumpkin vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling
100% Pure Pumpkin, also known as pumpkin puree, is cooked pumpkin that is blended or mashed into a smooth texture. There should be no seasoning, spice, flavoring, or sugar added. Pumpkin Pie Filling has spices and sweeteners added. They should not be used interchangeably.
When to add the Glaze
In this recipe, I have you make the glaze first, but don’t be tempted to eat it before adding it to the cake! Anyway, when it comes to adding the cream cheese glaze, you can do it while the cake is still warm or after it has cooled. If you drizzle while the cake is warm, the glaze will soak into the cake more. If you drizzle when the cake is cool, the glaze will appear thicker. It’s the right choice either way!
What is a Tube Pan?
A tube pan is any type of round baking pan that has a hollow tube in its center. The tube helps large, deep cakes bake faster. It often has detachable sides.
If you do not have a tube pan, you can use a bundt pan. If you do not have a bundt pan, simply place a glass cup or ramekin in the middle of a large cake pan (I recommend at least a 9-inch for this cake, 10-inch is ideal) before pouring the batter inside.
How to Store Pumpkin Dessert
Because of the cream cheese glaze, store this cake in the refrigerator, covered, for 3-4 days. If you do not add the glaze, store the cake, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the cake without the glaze for up to 3 months.
More Pumpkin Desserts
Pumpkin Dessert
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 5 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- â…” cup (83 g) confectioners' sugar
- â…“ cup (82 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cake
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin pie filling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (184 g) buttermilk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Glaze
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla. Combine until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes, or until smooth. Set aside.
Pumpkin Cake
- In a large bowl, add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until well blended.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in pumpkin pie filling and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, a few crumbs are okay.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan, and allow it to continue cooling on a wire rack.
- Drizzle the glaze on the warm or cooled cake.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Your recipe does not say when to add the cream cheese after heating it. When do you add it?
It says “add ALL ingredients”
Have not tried this yet however shall but without the glaze. Pumpkin usually stands on its own.
Good idea!
I have many cans of pumpkin puree in my pantry, so am not about to go buy a can of pumpkin pie mix. Exactly what spices should I add and how much of each?
You can add 2 tsp of pumpkin spice 🙂
Usually spices are listed on pumpkin mix I use them when I don’t have the mix. Any pan works well loaf pan cookie sheet pan reg cake pan.
Has anyone tried this in a bundt pan? I do not have a tube pan
Yes! It works!
Hi, Is the amount of flower three cups? Shouldn’t that be 24 ounces instead of 13?
Are you sure it will taste the same with pureed pumpkin?
Thanks
cup of flour is about 4 1/2 ounces. 🙂 The measurements are correct.
Oh, I wish the recipe would have said to add spices to the pumpkin puree. I didn’t realize I needed do that until after I baked the cake! (my cake is cooling and smells good!) It’s kind of confusing because there are so many brand names in the recipe so I figured pumpkin pie mix was the same as generic pumpkin puree. Hope it tastes ok because it was a lot of work! Ha Ha. Also, my glaze is really thick and gelatinous and doesn’t taste very flavorful. I don’t think I’ll use it on my cake.
You DONT need to add spices to the pumpkin pie mix as they are already in it. 🙂
I did not like the density of this cake. It cooked for 55 min. tested it with a tooth pick, it came out clean, however the bottom of the cake looked like it did not cook all the way. Should it look like that? I is a high cake and looked very nice. Please reply. TY
If you want to change the density of the cake one trick you can use is to strain the pumpkin prior to adding it to the batter. I am a huge fan of the recipe as is, but love the idea of you customizing it to fit your tastes and needs. 🙂
Your final picture – the cake looks really dense. Mine came out like a cake – airy and light (not that I’m complaining). Is this really a pound cake? or a cake? Thanks!
Not sure what the question is?
Purée and pie mix are not interchangeable.. Pie mix has water in it, purée does not. How do you adjust for the additional liquid?
Well, I am not making a pie. I made a cake. 🙂 The recipe is perfect as is.
Amanda- thank you for posting this awesome recipe! I live in Colorado and it has just started to cool down so this sounds like a perfect cake for Fall! I am going to just jump right in and make it tonight—i am not going to badger you with questions about what “extra” things i should or should not add- I am not going to argue about the “weight” of a cup…..i am going to make the cake and if it does not turn out i am going to try it again and make adjustments–that is is what you do in the kitchen to learn things. thanks again!
lol If you need to ask questions, please do!!! I want it to be a success. 🙂
Loving this one Amanda! It reminds me of the pumpkin cake donut with icing I had this morning from a gas station (ha! Do you have Casey’s General Store’s up in MN?) Anyway, don’t knock ’em they are fab! The moral of the story is, when I saw this recipe it reminded me of those…..but I’m sure yours is better! Love the glaze. Just shared on my blog’s FB page today!