Pumpkin Cake with Bourbon
This pumpkin cake is an easy, flavorful recipe made with pumpkin, sugar, warm spices and a little bourbon! The cake batter comes together in one bowl, then bakes beautifully in a bundt pan for a delicious fall dessert.
This recipe belongs to my mother-in-law, who loved to bake (and I know my father-in-law enjoyed a glass of bourbon!). We talked about recipes all the time, always sharing when we found a really good one. This one is definitely a good one! I made a couple of changes to her original recipe, leaving out the chopped nuts, adding a little more bourbon, and topping it with cream cheese frosting instead of powdered sugar. Those small changes made a delicious cake even better. I also made the cake in the vintage tube pan that belonged to my mom. Making this recipe brought back a lot of good memories!
What You Need
Butter
Granulated Sugar
Eggs
Vanilla Extract
All Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Ginger
Ground Cloves
Pumpkin Puree
Bourbon of choice
Tips for Making Pumpkin Cake with Bourbon
Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You want pure pumpkin or pumpkin purée for this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, which can change the flavor and texture of the finished cake.
Don’t over mix. Once the dry ingredients and wet ingredients come together, mix just until combined. Over mixing the flour mixture can make the cake less tender.
Prepare your pan well. I recommend thoroughly preparing your bundt pan or bundt cake pan so the cake releases easily.
Let the cake cool completely. Allowing the cake to cool helps the texture set.
This is a great cake to make a day ahead. The flavors have even more time to come together, making it a wonderful dessert for entertaining.
More Delicious Fall Desserts
How to Make Pumpkin Cake with Bourbon
Step 1: Prepare a bundt pan or tube pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. Next, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream 1/2 cup softened butter. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and continue mixing. Add 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and continue mixing.
Step 2: In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves. Mix to combine all dry ingredients.
Step 3: Combine flour mixture into wet mixture alternately with 1 cup pumpkin puree, ending with the flour mixture. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup bourbon of choice and mix just until incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan for about 15 minutes, then allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Alternate dry mixture with wet mixture and the pumpkin puree. Mix just until combined and move to bundt or tube pan.
Step 4: Sprinkle with powdered sugar once completely cool. To make the Cream Cheese Frosting, use a hand mixer to beat 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter together until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and continue mixing. Slowing add in 2-3 cups powdered sugar and mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Move cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and pipe onto the cake from the outer edge to the inner circle. Once piped around the cake, smooth out the center with a knife.
How to Store Pumpkin Cake with Bourbon
Store the frosted cake in an airtight container or cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4–5 days. Let the cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting and cake can soften.
I have a feeling this Pumpkin Cake with Bourbon is going to become a go-to recipe in my fall baking lineup. I love that it’s different from the usual pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, or pumpkin cupcakes, but it still has all the pumpkin flavor I look forward to at this time of year.
If you’re looking for another delicious pumpkin desserts to make during the fall or holiday season, this pumpkin bourbon cake is definitely worth adding to your list. It's Forkin' Good!
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