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
- ⅔ cup (83 g) confectioners' sugar
- ⅓ 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.
OMG …
Just as you said “perfection” …
Texture -color – taste – ease of prep!
Thank you for this fabulous recipe.
Can you help me adjust this recipe for high altitude?
I live in Idaho. The altitude is 6,109. It seems like I can never make a good dessert here.
I have this post that may help: https://iambaker.net/high-altitude-baking-tips/
If using pumpkin puree, the following spices should be added.
1 T ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves
T= Tablespoon
t= teaspoon
Whole milk may be used instead of buttermilk. It will not be as dense.
All of tjis information is within the article or under recipe notes.
Excellent love all your recipes
Do you have a gluten free version? This looks scrumptious!
Can you make this with sweet potatoes? Just wondering, because my husband hates pumpkin.
I haven’t tried it, but it could work.
I am terrible about modifying recipes right away but I did not do that with this recipe and I am so glad that I didn’t! It truly has the taste of pumpkin pie and the glaze is wonderful. The buttermilk gives it a slight tang that just adds level of flavor. Love it!
My cake was spongy and tough. Where did I go wrong?
Joy, some folks might expect pound cake to be light like a regular cake… but pound cakes are meant to be heavier, and certainly dense in texture. A pound cake shouldn’t be ‘tough’, so it is possible your oven temp is off and it baked too long.
Joy, sometimes when you are adding flour to cake batter, if you over beat or mix, it will become tough as you said. Just incorporate dry ingredients until moist. Do not over beat!
Is the pan the same as a bunt cake pan?
This is what the post says: “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.”
This looks delicious. Can’t wait to make it. Your video says to use pumpkin purée but the recipe calls for pumpkin pie filling. I’m confused