Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze Recipe

This Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze Recipe is a moist and spiced recipe, which uses spice cake mix and pumpkin pie mix. It’s the perfect fall dessert, ready in about 2 hours 40 minutes (including cooling).

Jump to Recipe

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze Ingredients

A simple, semi-homemade list for a crowd-pleasing autumn cake.

For the Cake:

1 box moist spice cake mix
1 box moist yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix
6 large eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

For the Citrus Glaze:

1 pound (about 4 cups) powdered sugar
1/3 cup orange juice, no pulp
3 teaspoons orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
Red and yellow food coloring (optional, for orange color)

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze Recipe

How To Make Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze

A step-by-step guide to this incredibly moist and flavorful Bundt cake.

Prep the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan, making sure to get into all the crevices.
Mix the Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, oil, pumpkin pie mix, water, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. Add both dry cake mixes to the bowl and stir on low speed until just combined.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the Cake: Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes. Then, carefully invert the cake onto the cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the Citrus Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange liqueur. If you want a vibrant orange color, add a few drops of yellow and red food coloring.
Heat the Glaze: Whisk the mixture over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the sugar is completely melted and the glaze is smooth. If it seems too thick, add a little more orange juice or water to reach a pourable consistency.
Glaze and Serve: Drizzle the warm glaze over the completely cooled Bundt cake. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe Tips

How do I keep my Bundt cake from sticking? This is the most important step for a Bundt! Use a baking spray with flour or generously grease the pan with solid shortening (butter can burn), making sure to get into every detail. Then, dust it with flour, tapping out any excess.
Why did my cake sink in the middle? This is common with heavy, moist cakes like this. It could be from opening the oven door too early, which lets cold air in and causes the center to collapse. It can also be from underbaking.
How do I get a perfect glaze? The cake must be 100% completely cool. If it’s even slightly warm, the glaze will melt and slide right off instead of setting up in a thick, pretty layer.
What if my glaze is too thick or too thin? The glaze is easy to adjust. If it’s too thick to drizzle, whisk in more orange juice, one teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin, whisk in more sifted powdered sugar.

What To Serve With Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This cake is the perfect centerpiece for a fall gathering. It’s best served with a simple, warm beverage.

A hot cup of coffee
A cup of hot or cold apple cider
A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream
A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream

How To Store Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Room Temperature: This cake is best stored at room temperature. Once the glaze is fully set, store the cake in an airtight cake carrier or cover it loosely with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
Freeze: This cake freezes beautifully, especially before it’s glazed. Wrap the completely cooled, un-glazed cake in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze before serving.

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake Nutrition Facts

(Per slice, assuming 16 slices)

Calories: ~460 kcal
Total Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 610mg
Total Carbohydrate: 75g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 55g
Protein: 5g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Can I use just one box of cake mix?

No, this recipe is designed to be a very large, dense cake that fills a 12-cup Bundt pan. Using one box of mix will result in a very small, flat cake and the wet-to-dry ratios will be incorrect.

What’s the difference between pumpkin pie mix and pumpkin puree?

This recipe uses pumpkin pie mix, which is pre-sweetened and seasoned with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Pumpkin puree is just 100% pure, unsweetened pumpkin. If you only have puree, you will need to add about 1/2 cup of brown sugar and another 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice to the batter.

Can I make the glaze non-alcoholic?

Yes, absolutely. Just replace the 3 teaspoons of orange liqueur with 3 teaspoons of additional orange juice and 1/4 teaspoon of orange extract for a similar flavor.