This Glazed Pumpkin Pound Cake is made with a rich, buttery batter of pumpkin, buttermilk, and warm fall spices, and topped with a sweetened buttermilk glaze. It’s my top choice for an autumn pumpkin dessert recipe!
I’m trying to think if I’ve ever known a person who didn’t like pound cake. Hmmm…nope, can’t think of a single one. Because really, what’s not to like about pound cake? It’s rich, it’s buttery, it’s just delicious.
— This post was originally published on September 13, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes
Servings: 16
Primary Ingredient(s): Pumpkin puree, sugar, butter, flour, pumpkin pie spice, buttermilk
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Followed the recipe exactly. I will make this often. Not too sweet. Perfectly dense cake. Perfect pumpkin flavor. Great with coffee. And it was easy to put together.”
— Claire
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- This is the perfect fall cake recipe, full of pumpkin and autumn flavors.
- It’s so buttery and rich it would make a great cake for any time of year.
- The simplicity of the recipe guarantees success for even novice bakers.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 264 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
Ingredient Notes
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- Pumpkin Puree — Be sure to purchase 100% pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice — This is a convenient mixture of warm autumnal spices. You can easily make your own mix by following the directions below.
- Dark Brown Sugar — Adds a warm molasses background flavor to the cake.
- Buttermilk — Very important to the flavor of this cake.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Why is it called “Pound Cake?”
Pound cake got its name from the old method of using a pound of butter, a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, and a pound of eggs for the batter. Can you imagine what a huge cake that made? I’m not really sure how they baked those monstrous cakes, much less lifted them out of the oven.
Today’s pound cakes are still true to the basic ingredients, but much lighter in weight and volume. And there’s an endless variety of them, too. I’ve had coconut pound cakes, sour cream pound cakes, chocolate pound cakes…you name it, and you can probably flavor a pound cake with it.
I have a fantastic Never Fail Pound Cake recipe that I always use for plain pound cakes. That recipe makes a great cake, but with the fall season starting, I really wanted something with warm spice and pumpkin flavors. This wonderful Glazed Pumpkin Pound Cake satisfied that craving very well.
How to Make Glazed Pumpkin Pound Cake
- Start by preheating the oven to 350. Then grease and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Set that aside for now.
- Drain the canned pumpkin. This step is necessary to keep the cake from being too wet and heavy.
Pro Tip: How to Drain Canned Pumpkin
The easiest way to drain the pumpkin is to spread it out on a double thickness of paper towels. Then cover it with another double thickness of paper towels, gently press those down, and leave it for about 10 minutes. Scrape the drained pumpkin into a little bowl.
- Put the white and brown sugars, along with the butter, into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the mixer at medium speed for about 3 minutes or until well blended.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Pro Tip
To facilitate adding the eggs to the batter, crack all the eggs into a small bowl. Pour one egg at a time from the bowl into the batter making sure each is incorporated well before adding the next.
- Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
Pro Tip
You may notice that the batter gets a grainy look after adding the pumpkin? Don’t worry, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to look like.
- Measure the flour by lightly spooning it into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. Mix the flour, spice, baking powder, soda, and salt with a whisk or fork so that it is evenly combined.
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
Pro Tip
To make alternating the flour mixture and buttermilk easy, I add 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour, the remaining buttermilk, then the remaining 1/3 of the flour. It doesn’t have to be perfectly even amounts, just your best estimate.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PUMPKIN PIE SPICE
Pumpkin pie spice is a very convenient spice mix available in most grocery stores in the fall. You can spend about $4.00 for approximately one ounce of it, or you can easily make your own.
To make your own, combine 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves. Mix well and store in an airtight container. You’ll use 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mixture where called for in this recipe.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick or thin wooden skewer inserted halfway between the outer edge and the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
- To make the glaze, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat and drizzle the glaze over the cake.
Pro Tip
This buttermilk glaze is fantastic on any pound cake recipe.
Storing and Freezing
This cake will keep very well at room temperature for at least a week in a sealed, covered container. To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and follow that with a wrapping of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped cake in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Questions About Pumpkin Pound Cake
Yes. Some brands call the product “pumpkin puree,” and some call it simply “canned pumpkin.” It’s the same thing. This is not the same thing as “pumpkin pie mix,” which contains sweeteners and spices. You’ll need the plain pumpkin puree for this recipe.
Sure! If you want to use fresh pumpkin, it will need to be cooked first. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove all the seeds and pulp, and place it on a baking sheet or in a baking pan. Cook at 325 degrees for about one hour or until tender. Let it cool completely, scoop the cooked pumpkin flesh out, and discard the shell. You can proceed with the recipe, substituting an equal amount of cooked pumpkin for the canned pumpkin puree.
Nothing. You did absolutely nothing wrong. It’s just the nature of pound cakes to crack on top. Just consider it part of its charm.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Like
Old Fashioned Red Velvet Cake
Chocolate-Chocolate Cake
Traditional Irish Spiced Fruitcake
Chocolate Little Layer Cake
If you’re looking for more pumpkin recipes, you’ll love the Amish Pumpkin Pie recipe from Melanie at The Cagle Diaries.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Glazed Pumpkin Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
For the Glaze:
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.
- Drain the pumpkin by spreading over two layers of paper towels. Cover with two additional layers of paper towels and let stand for about 10 minutes. Scrape the drained pumpkin into a bowl.15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- Add the sugar, dark brown sugar and butter to a large bowl. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes or until well blended.¾ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup butter
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.4 eggs
- Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Measure the flour by lightly spooning into a dry measure cup and leveling with a knife. Using a whisk or fork, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.¾ cup buttermilk
- Pour the batter into the prepared tube or bundt pan.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from the pan and cool completely on wire rack.
- To prepare the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and drizzle over cake.⅓ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Notes
- To facilitate adding the eggs to the batter, crack all the eggs into a small bowl. Pour one egg at a time from the bowl into the batter making sure each is incorporated well before adding the next.
- To make alternating the dry ingredients and buttermilk easy, add 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour, the remaining buttermilk, then the remaining 1/3 of the flour.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
- May be frozen, well-wrapped and placed in a freezer container, for up to three months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Can you use light brown sugar? If so what would make a change in the cake?
I’ve never tested this recipe with light brown sugar. Light brown sugar has less molasses than dark brown, so using it would cut out most of the molasses flavor in the finished cake. It would probably be okay, but there would a difference in flavor.
One of the best pumpkin recipes I’ve ever made. I skipped on the glaze and it’s still perfect. Amazing texture and flavor; I can’t wait to make it again. The only modification was I added a teeny bit more spice because I love my autumnal recipes super “pumpkin spicy.” Family loved it!
I’m so glad you liked it! This is one of my personal favorite fall recipes.
Followed the recipe exactly. I will make this often. Not too sweet. Perfectly dense cake. Perfect pumpkin flavor. Great with coffee. And it was easy to put together. Thanks for sharing this lovely cake recipe.
My pleasure, Claire. Glad to know you enjoyed it.
Turned out great! I think I’ll make it again, but add a little more pumpkin spice. I loved the texture and how dense it was. The glaze was a new technique for me and I really enjoyed the flavor! Great recipe!
So glad you iiked it. And you can adjust the spice to suit your tastes, of course.
This was SO delicious! Make sure that you don’t use pumpkin ‘pie filling’, …. use plan ‘canned pumpkin’ The flavor of this Pound Cake was incredible! I baked it in my Bundt pan. The glaze was VERY tasty. I’m keeping this recipe.
So glad you liked it, Angelina!
OOOOOH…. I am SO making this today. The tip about getting excess water out of the pumpkin is absolute genius. How in the world did you know to do that?
Miss P
I don’t know, but it works really well!
Searched for nearly an hour for a pumpkin pound cake that I wanted to bake. This was it!! I just took it out of the oven and it looks almost exactly like your picture. Smells Delish! Can’t wait to try it. I will update post once we cut into it. Thank You!!
Oh goodness, I thought I was the only one that slathered a slice of pound cake and toasted it. Sometimes I sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on the butter.
I love pound cake and this one looks wonderful.
I just made this cake. It smells wonderful, but after I took it out of the oven it dropped a couple of inches in height! I bake quite often (lots of pound cakes) and this has never happened. It looks a little short, but I am hoping it will still be tasty! Any thoughts on what happened?
Thanks!
Wow Jen, I know that’s really disappointing! I’m at a loss because this is one of my most dependable recipes. I’ve never had it fall. It always stays just as tall after cooling as it was when I took it out of the oven. You know there are so many reasons a cake can fall – old levening, uneven or unreliable oven temperature, even the weather. With this cake, another possibility would be that you might not have drained the pumpkin enough and the batter was too wet.
Do you have to use buttermilk? I wanted to make this to bring for my husband’s Christmas party. I only have 2% milk and don’t know how that would work with the vinegar to make buttermilk.
I’d really recommend buttermilk for this, Kristen.
Lana – Your recipe sounds yummy and your husband’s co-workers are a laugh riot! Thanks. I needed that. But the reason for my note is to find out if this recipe can be made successfully in loaf pans. I don’t have the round pan you call for. TIA for any and all assistance. (I’ll be chuckling about that note all night). 8-)
I’m quite sure you could make this in two loaf pans. I don’t have cooking time for those, however.
This looked and sounded so fabulous that my son picked it for his birthday cake!! I tweaked it a little, but am posting it tomorrow at http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com if you’d like to see! Thank you!
Hi I just made this last week and it is divine! Absolutely loved it! The flavor is fantastic, and it’s so moist! And it tastes even better the next day! Plus, the buttermilk glaze is DELICIOUS! I’m thinking about making this again and doubling the buttermilk glaze! Thanks so much for the great recipe! :)
I made this yesterday and it turned out great. Since I love spices I added more pie spice than what was called for and I added a couple spoonfuls of pumpkin to my glaze. Thanks
That ransom email (who writes notes anymore?) is too funny! Give us all a piece!
I just put this cake in the oven, and the batter was DELIGHTFUL! Can’t wait for the baked cake to come out of the oven!
Such a great recipe!! What’s not to love about pumpkin pound cake?! I totally agree. Thanks for linking up to my linky party!!