your fall baking list isn’t complete without a deliciously buttery pound cake. this glazed pumpkin pound cake has all the buttery flavor and delightful texture of a traditional pound cake, with pumpkin twist! perfectly spiced, filled with buttery flavor, accented with pumpkin, this pound cake is for pumpkin and non pumpkin lovers alike! take the fall flavor really over the top, with the salted maple caramel glaze.
in a few words, this pumpkin pound cake is
- buttery
- sweet
- moist, with a tender crumb
- full of pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavor
- perfectly complemented with a salted caramel glaze
- works as cake for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
what ingredients do I need to make this pound cake?
to make this glazed pumpkin pound cake, you’ll need a few basic ingredients
- all purpose flour
- cake flour
- see recipe notes for a diy version
- pumpkin spice blend
- baking powder
- salt
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- canned pumpkin/pumpkin pureé
- pure maple syrup
- light brown sugar or maple sugar
- heavy whipping cream
- powdered sugar
from these ingredients you will make the spiced pumpkin pound cake and the salted maple caramel glaze.
what kitchen tools do I need to make this pound cake?
- 8.5 x 4.5 or 9 x 5 loaf pan
- other possible pans would be an 8 cup or larger bundt pan
- stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- to prepare the cake batter
- flexible silicone spatula or spoon
- to finish making the batter
- its better to finish by hand to avoid over mixing
- parchment paper
- to line the loaf pan
- small sauce pan
- to make the salted maple caramel sauce
how do I know when the pound cake is done baking?
these are the three signs you should look for:
- color: the top will be golden brown
- the cake should not be burned
- use a tent foil if the top is baking too quickly
- bake the cake in the lower third of the oven
- the cake should bounce back when gently pressed with your finger
- the center will have a large crack running through the center
- this is where the steam escapes
- if the crack looks wet, the cake will need about 10-20 minutes from that point
- toothpick inserted into the center will come out with a few moist crumbs if its “gummy” with a few crumbs, it needs 5-10 more minutes
- the internal temperature should read 210 F (99 C)
- baking times are written as a guide. look for the signs a cake is done
- the recipe times for this cake range from 60-70 minutes
- several factors can impact this range
- from the type of oven or loaf pan to the weather!
tips and tricks for a perfect pumpkin pound cake
best substitutions for this recipe:
- all purpose flour: for a gluten free option, I recommend
- cake flour: make a DIY version using all purpose and cornstarch
- see recipe notes for how to do this
- to make a GF cake flour, sub with one of the listed subs above
- follow the notes in the recipe to make it cake flour
- baking powder: technically this is to aid the lift from beating the butter, sugar and air
- omit if you don’t have
- maple syrup for the salted maple caramel
- if you don’t have or don’t like maple syrup, you can use the quick salted caramel glaze from my banana bread snack cake
baking tips and tricks for a great glazed pumpkin pound cake
- beat the butter until fluffy, but do not over beat
- once you add the eggs, do not beat above the lowest speed on your mixer
- use a “light hand” when folding the dry ingredients and pumpkin into the wet
- aka, don’t over mix
- fold until everything is incorporated
- cool in the pan on a cooling rack for no more than 15-20 minutes
- cool to room temperature on a cooling rack
- allow the cake to cool completely before applying the glaze
- the caramel glaze and nuts are optional (but HIGHLY recommend!)
other pumpkin recipes to try!
- chewy maple pumpkin cookies
- pumpkin tahini s’mores bars
- spiced pumpkin apple bread (dairy free)
- maple pumpkin coffee cake (vegan)
- spiced pumpkin bourbon tiramisu
- pumpkin gingersnap icebox cake
- spiced walnut pumpkin bread
glazed pumpkin pound cake
all the flavors and textures you love in pound cake, with a pumpkin twist! this glazed pumpkin pound cake is buttery, with a tender crumb. It's filled with pumpkin, pumpkin spice and topped with a quick caramel glaze.
Equipment
- 8.5 x 4.5 OR 9×5 (23×13) loaf pan
- parchment paper
- stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- large flexible silicone spatula
- small sauce pan
Ingredients
spiced pumpkin pound cake
- 1 c (120g) all purpose flour
- 2/3 c (80g) cake flour see recipe notes for sub
- 2-3 tsp pumpkin spice blend
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 c (250g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
- 3/4 c (190g) pumpkin pureé ( not pumpkin pie filling)
maple caramel glaze
- 4 tbsp (57g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 c (59ml) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 c (50g) light brown sugar or maple sugar
- 1/4 c (59ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
- 3/4 c (90g) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
spiced pumpkin pound cake
- Line 9×5 loaf pan (or 8.5 X 4.5) with parchment paper, leaving 1-2 in. overhang on the sides. Preheat oven to 350F (177C). Move an oven rack to the lower 1/3 of the oven (right under the middle rack level).
- Whisk together flours, pumpkin spice, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat/cream butter on low for 1 minute. Increase to medium speed for 4-6 additional minutes, until butter is lighter and fluffier. If you're top to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Beat the butter with the sugar by slowly streaming in sugar. This whole step should take 1-2 minutes. Once all the sugar has been added, beat/cream the sugar and butter together for an additional minute. Sugar should be mostly dissolved into the butter at this point.
- Slowly add eggs to the butter and sugar. Add one egg at a time, beating on low until it fully incorporates before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla etxract. Beat an addtional minute on low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Switch to a large spatula, or spoon. The next steps will be done by hand.
- Fold in dry ingredients and pumpkin to the wet ingredients in this order: dry, pumpkin dry, pumpkin, dry. Fold each part about 90% into the wet ingredients before adding the next. Fold all ingredients in the batter togther until smooth and well combined.
- Gently scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Using a small offset spatula or spoon, level and smooth the batter into the corners and across the pan.
- Bake at 350F (177C) for 60-70 minutes ( in the lower 1/3 of the oven). Check the top. It should be golden, but not burned. There should also be a large crack in the center of the cake. This is where the steam escapes and is perfect!
- Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool an addtional 50 minutes (1 hr total). Top with powdered sugar or the recommended salted maple caramel glaze.
salted maple caramel glaze
- In a small sauce pan, combine the butter, maple syrup, sugar, cream, and salt.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium high heat. Stir as frequently needed to ensure the ingredients are melting evenly and are well comibined.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 1 minute. Once boiling, start the time and stir constantly.
- Remove from heat and cool for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the warm caramel sauce into a bowl with the powdered sugar. Pour in the vanilla extract. Whisk or stir until well combined with no lumps of sugar. Taste and add a pinch more salt if desired.
- Pour the caramel glaze over the cooled pumpkin pound cake. After 5 minutes, top the glaze with chopped nuts if desired. Allow 30-60 minutes for the glaze to fully set.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
diy cake flour: for 1 c (120-125g) cake flour, remove 2 tbsp (15g) all purpose flour from the 1 c all purpose flour. replace the 2 tbsp with an equal amount of corn starch. sift the new mixture together 3-4 times to fully blend together.
- since this recipe calls for 2/3c, you can follow the above mentioned method with some flour leftover or you can scoop 4 teaspoons of cornstarch into a measuring cup. add all purpose flour leveled to the top to make 2/3 c using the spoon and level method. sift together 3-4 times. follow the remainder of the recipe as written.
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Hi this looks amazing!! When do you add the vanilla extract to the batter? After the egg addition? Thanks!
Hi Carrie. Yes, you would add the vanilla extract after adding in the eggs. I’ll get that updated on the recipe ASAP!