Ingredients
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to grease the pan
1 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 c. granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1/2 c. buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. flaky sea salt (optional)
2 tbsp. whole milk, at room temperature
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 350° and generously grease a 12-cup bundt pan. Step 2In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until pale and creamed together, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mix until incorporated between each egg. Add the pumpkin puree on low speed. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and slowly add the buttermilk and vanilla, until well combined.Step 3In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir in salt and black pepper. Add dry ingredients to the mixer in 4 batches, mixing on low in between additions until just incorporated. Scrape bowl and mix the last batch by hand to prevent over mixing. Transfer batter into the prepared pan and smooth the batter with the spatula. Tap the pan firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Bake until the cake is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 60 minutes.Step 4Cool cake in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Don’t wait too long, or the cake may be difficult to remove in one piece. Step 5In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, flaky sea salt, and milk until smooth. The glaze should be pourable, but thick. Add more confectioners’ sugar or milk in small increments to adjust if needed.Step 6When the cake has fully cooled, transfer to a platter and pour glaze on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake. Let glaze set for a minute before serving.
The flaky sea salt is optional, but the sweet and salty flavors paired with the cinnamon glaze are what really this cake apart. Black pepper is another savory spice in the batter, which isn’t something you’d necessarily detect. But, like salt, it will enhance the other more common pumpkin spices, like cinnamon and allspice. The cinnamon glaze We think this easy cinnamon glaze is what really takes this cake over the top, but if you’re not about the cinnamon and flaky salt, feel free to make your glaze plain, like in our best bundt cake recipe. Can I make this ahead? Absolutely, this is a great make ahead dessert for Thanksgiving. If you want to make this ahead, this cake keeps well at room temperature for a few days, but make sure to keep it covered. What do I do with extra batter? If your bundt pan is smaller than 12-cups, bake off the extra batter in a mini loaf pan or into cupcakes—the more the merrier when it comes to this pumpkin cake. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
