This Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake is moist, tender, full of fall flavor, and a total showstopper. It’s got a layer of cheesecake swirl baked into it and is finished with a drizzle of cream cheese glaze.
For a cream cheese-free version, you can also try our Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe. Or, for more of a sheet cake style you can try this Easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake
If you’re looking for a truly delicious, equally impressive, yet super simple dessert for Thanksgiving, give this pumpkin and cream cheese bundt cake a try. While bundt cakes are always beautiful, this one seriously takes the cake. Not only does it have a pretty cream cheese glaze drizzled over the top, it also has a layer of cheesecake swirl baked right through it.
And don’t worry, because this super moist, totally delicious cake is incredibly easy to make, and can even be started ahead of time. Go ahead and bake your cake a day in advance if you’d like, then glaze it at least an hour before serving. This little beauty is perfect for serving at your next fall or winter get together.
Key Ingredients
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - this adds loads of seasonally delicious flavor. You could substitute cinnamon and nutmeg if you don’t have it available.
- Pumpkin Puree - make sure you buy plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugars and spices. You could also use your own Homemade Pumpkin Puree if you want.
- Sour Cream - this adds flavor and keeps the cake super moist.
- Cream Cheese - this needs to be soft to make the filling so either leave it out at room temperature for a couple of hours ahead of time, or lightly warm in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time.
- White Chocolate Chips - these will melt in the oven, so you can just mix into the cream cheese filling. Mini white chocolate chips work great, but you could use regular.
- Powdered Sugar - powdered sugar adds sweetness to the glaze without any grit.
- Milk - whole milk is best for adding to the glaze, but you could substitute 2%.
How to Make This Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe
- Mix the bundt cake batter. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sour cream, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, then stir until combined and pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Set aside while you make the cream cheese layer.
- Make the cream cheese filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature cream cheese and beat using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed, then mix in the vanilla and white chocolate chips until combined.
- Add the cream cheese filling to the cake batter. Spoon the cream cheese layer over the top of the pumpkin cake batter. (Note: the cream cheese layer will sink during baking)
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Invert the cake. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then, to remove the cake from the bundt pan put a plate or serving dish on the top of the bundt cake pan and flip the cake onto the serving plate.
- Make the cream cheese glaze. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the room temperature butter and cream cheese using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add half of the powdered sugar and the milk, beat again until smooth, then add the remaining powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth.
- Glaze the cake and let set. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let it cool at room temperature before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to avoid a bundt cake sticking to the pan is to let it sit for about 5-10 minutes after removing it from the oven before inverting it. You can also gently slide a sharp knife around the edge. If you wait too long, the cake will cool too much and it will be more likely to stick. If you try and remove it too early, there will still be too much steam trapped and the cake will likely break in the process.
The only real difference between a bundt cake and a regular cake is the pan it’s baked in. A bundt cake pan is round with a hole in the center, allowing for denser cakes to bake more quickly and evenly.
For this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe, be sure and use pure pumpkin puree that has no other ingredients added to it. You can either use the canned stuff, or make your own Homemade Pumpkin Puree. Avoid pumpkin pie filling which is usually sold right next to pumpkin puree. It has additional ingredients like sugar and spices.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Refrigerator: wrap leftovers in aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Pumpkin Bundt Cake can be wrapped well with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, then stored for up to 1 month in the freezer. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight. Note that it is easier to freeze and thaw bundt cake that has not yet been glazed.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 1 15-ounce can Pumpkin Puree
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ¼ cup Butter melted
- 1½ cups Sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 12 ounces White Chocolate Chips
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Butter room temperature
Instructions
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a large, 10-12 cup bundt cake pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sour cream, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, then stir until combined and pour into the prepared bundt pan. Set aside while you make the cream cheese layer.
Cream Cheese Layer
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature cream cheese and beat using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed, then mix in the vanilla and white chocolate chips until combined.
- Spoon the cream cheese layer over the top of the pumpkin cake batter. (Note: the cream cheese layer will sink during baking)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then, to remove the cake from the bundt pan, put a plate or serving dish on the top of the bundt cake pan and flip the cake onto the serving plate.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the room temperature butter and cream cheese using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add half of the powdered sugar and the milk, beat again until smooth, then add the remaining powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let it cool at room temperature before slicing. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Of the Best Bundt Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
- Funfetti Bundt Cake
- Lime Bundt Cake
- Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake
- Coconut Filled Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
- More Cake Recipes
- More Thanksgiving Recipes
This easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake is topped with a cream cheese glaze and filled with a layer of cheesecake. It's loaded with pumpkin flavor and a beautiful dessert to serve for Thanksgiving or any other fall or winter get together.
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