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The buttermilk pumpkin pound cake on a wooden platter with fall decor around it.
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Buttermilk-Pumpkin Pound Cake

Rich, decadent and dense, this buttermilk-pumpkin pound cake is a welcome addition to any holiday dessert table. Each delicious bite is perfectly moist and full of our favorite fall flavors and warm spices. Plus, this pound cake features simple ingredients, and it’s easy to make for even the novice baker.
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 16 people
Calories 390kcal

Equipment

  • Stand or hand mixer
  • 12-cup bundt pan
  • Foil

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly grated
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
  • 7 eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk well shaken before measuring
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin purée

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift into another bowl.
  • Add the dark brown sugar, white sugar, butter and vanilla extract to a separate large mixing bowl. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream the ingredients over medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about four to five minutes. From time to time, scrape the butter off the side of the bowl to ensure everything is well-incorporated.
  • Beat in the eggs one at a time. Once you beat in all the eggs, add about ½ cup of the flour mixture into the batter and beat until combined on low speed. Beat in a splash of the buttermilk. Repeat the process until both are fully incorporated into the batter, ending with the buttermilk. Stir in the pumpkin puree.
  • Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. The flour makes a big difference in keeping the finished cake from sticking, so don't skip this step. Pour in the batter and smooth on top.
  • Bake for 55-60 minutes. The cake is ready when a long skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for an hour or up to two hours. Run a knife along the edge of the bundt pan to loose the cake. Invert on a wire rack to finish cooling before serving.
  • Move to a cake stand when ready to serve. Store under a cake dome to create an airtight environment. If desired, serve with bourbon caramel or your favorite ice cream, such as this butterscotch ice cream with candied pecans or bourbon-pumpkin ice cream. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • For baking at 5,280 feet altitude, I adjusted to 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder and ⅞ teaspoon baking soda.
  • Make sure your butter, buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature. Since we rely on physical leavening, we need to properly incorporate the ingredients, and room-temperature ingredients mix much better than cold ingredients.
  • Do not scoop a measuring cup into your flour and white sugar to measure. Instead, spoon the ingredients into your measuring cup and then level with a knife. Scooping can pack in too much of your ingredient and throw off the entire recipe.
  • When beating the sugar and butter, periodically stop the timer and scrape the butter off the side of the bowl. Turn the timer back on when you continue to whip.
  • Since this is a big cake, we want to test the doneness with a long skewer rather than a toothpick. I recommend checking in several spots to ensure it's baked all the way. Make sure you insert the skewer all the way.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 203mg | Sugar: 40g