How have we never added a classic Pumpkin Pound Cake to our recipe collection until now? Today’s the day.
This rich, moist cake celebrates fall with pumpkin and warm spices—nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger—balanced by brown and white sugar. A buttery pecan streusel crowns the top for a crisp, flavorful finish. It’s a wonderful addition to our selection of fall cakes.
Table of Contents
Why we Love It
This Pumpkin Pound Cake is straightforward to make, comes together quickly, and is ideal for fall gatherings—cozy potlucks, afternoon coffee, or the Thanksgiving dessert table. Pound cakes also freeze well, either whole or sliced, making this a great make-ahead dessert.
Ingredients at a Glance
The full ingredient list appears in the recipe below. Here’s a quick overview of the main components:
Unsalted Butter — salt is added separately.
Brown and White Sugar — provide sweetness and moisture.
Eggs — add richness and structure.
Warm Spices — nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger complement pumpkin beautifully.
Canned Pumpkin Puree — use plain pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling).
Milk — 2% or whole milk works well.
Baking Powder & Salt
Cake Flour — for a tender crumb (notes below explain substitutions).
Optional: Pecan Streusel — butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and finely chopped pecans add texture and flavor if you choose to include it.
Recipe FAQs
We tested this recipe with canned pumpkin puree. Homemade puree can vary in water content and consistency, so results may differ slightly. If you try homemade puree, note adjustments for texture and let us know how it turns out.
Cake flour produces a more tender crumb because it has lower protein than all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour will still work but may create a slightly denser texture. See the notes below for an easy cake flour substitute using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
Yes—this pound cake freezes very well. After cooling, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. To thaw, move the wrapped cake to the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature the next morning. You can also freeze individual slices for convenient portions.
Yes. The cake is delicious on its own, though the streusel adds a welcome crunch and extra flavor. If you skip the streusel, consider a caramel drizzle or serve plain for a simpler presentation.
Let’s Make the Cake!
The full printable recipe appears below. Here’s a concise walkthrough of the main steps.
Streusel Topping
Start by making the pecan streusel: melted (and cooled) butter mixed with light brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and finely chopped pecans. The butter should be cool to the touch so it doesn’t melt the sugar—if it’s too warm, chill the mixture briefly to restore a crumbly texture.
Helpful Hint: If the butter is too warm the streusel will become pasty instead of crumbly. Pop the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes if needed.
For the Pumpkin Pound Cake Batter
- Cream softened butter until smooth, then add brown and white sugar and beat until light and fluffy—about 4–5 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until incorporated.
- Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl: canned pumpkin, vanilla, and milk. Set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients together: cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- On low speed, add the dry and wet ingredients alternately to the creamed butter and sugar, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined to avoid overworking the batter.
- Transfer batter to the prepared bundt or tube pan. Evenly sprinkle the streusel over the top and bake as directed in the recipe card below.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack before turning it out.
More Fall Cakes
We’ve shared many fall cake recipes over the years. If you enjoy this Pumpkin Pound Cake, consider trying other favorites in our collection such as Apple Pecan Bundt Cake, Chai Cake, Sweet Potato Cake, and Cranberry Orange Pound Cake.
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Apple Rum Cake
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Cranberry Orange Cake
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
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Applesauce Spice Cake
Have you made this? We’d love your rating, a comment, and a photo below—your feedback helps others find and enjoy the recipe.
Pumpkin Pound Cake
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Ingredients
For the Pecan Streusel Topping
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Cake Batter
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 3½ cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1¼ cup pumpkin puree (canned)
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan (our pan holds about 12 cups). Preheat the oven to 325°F.
For the Streusel Topping
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Melt the butter and let it cool until it’s no longer warm to the touch. In a bowl combine brown sugar, flour, pecans, salt, and cinnamon. Drizzle the cooled butter over the dry mix and toss with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
For the Cake
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Dry ingredients: Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
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Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
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Cream the softened butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the white and brown sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 4–5 minutes.
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Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until incorporated.
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With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture alternately with the pumpkin mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. I do three additions of dry and two of wet. Mix just until combined.
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Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle the streusel over the top, and bake at 325°F for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time varies with pan and oven—check toward the end of baking.
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Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling.
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Store at room temperature in an airtight container, under a cake dome, or freeze for longer storage (see notes).
Notes
Bundt Pan: Our pan holds about 12 cups and measures roughly 10 inches. If your pan is smaller, bake time may increase. Avoid overfilling—fill no more than two-thirds full.
Freezing: Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil while still slightly warm and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature.
*This recipe yields approximately 8–8.5 cups of batter.