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You guys are going to love this pumpkin bundt cake! It’s topped with a simple glaze made of browned butter and powdered sugar – so good you’ll want to drink it!
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I have a major problem, you guys.
I married this guy. He’s cute and all, but he doesn’t like cake. Specifically, he doesn’t like cake because of the frosting.
Personally, I believe that cake only exists to serve a purpose for frosting, but whatever. He thinks that the frosting ruins a cake and he won’t eat it.
Like, ever.
He even makes judge-y faces at me when I scrape his frosting off a piece of cake for him and proceed to eat the frosting with a spoon. He thinks that’s “weird.” Or “gross.” Or “a problem that needs medical help.” Doesn’t he understand that I’m only doing that to help him out?
He just doesn’t get me.
But, then! I made this pumpkin bundt cake.
And I topped it with this glaze. He looked at me with his sad eyes, all “oh, you had to ruin it with the frosting, didn’t you?”
So, I did what any loving wife would do and I begged him to just try a tiny bite of the frosting. Off a spoon. The way God intended. Making him try foods that he’s already declared he hates is a hobby of mine.
This time, though, he liked it. In fact, he ate a SECOND spoonful of frosting. Then he ate a piece of cake and the heavens rejoiced.
What I’m saying is, this browned butter glaze/frosting saves marriages. We nearly had to divorce over our difference of opinion, but now I can continue having someone around to take out the trash. Thank goodness.
Pumpkin Cake with Browned Butter Glaze
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 15 ounces pumpkin 1 can
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs
For the glaze:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a bundt pan.
- Beat together all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer for 2 minutes or until well combined, light, and somewhat fluffy.
- Add batter to bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes in the bundt pan before turning onto a cake platter to finish cooling.
- For the glaze, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour the butter into a small bowl and whisk in the powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
- Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake.
Nutrition Information:
Laura says
What brand of boxed cake mix do you prefer?
Karly Campbell says
We usually grab a Duncan Hines mix, but I’m not picky about them!
Sandie Post says
I absolutely LOVE this cake! This is the second time I’ve made it and it was great both times. This time it was at the request of my adult daughter for her birthday. I really like the brown butter glaze-so easy and tasty.
Karly says
So glad you enjoy it! That browned butter glaze is one of my favorite things on the planet. 🙂
Jackie says
I’m a spice nut, would pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon work well? We’re pumpkin anything freaks and can’t wait for fall! ?
Karly says
Yep, absolutely! If you really like pumpkin spice, you could even double it. 🙂
Jackie says
Thanks!!! Can’t wait to make this!
Sandie Post says
This is a REALLY GREAT recipe! It’s not too sweet and not too spicy. It’s going to become our New Year tradition. Thank you!
Karly says
Thanks, Sandie!
Kim says
I only have a white cake mix…..would that work in place of the yellow mix?
Karly says
That should work just fine though I haven’t tried it myself.
Jonathan says
Tried to watch the video, ad NEVER finished. I hate ads.
Karly says
That’s cool, but the thing is that without ads I wouldn’t have the funds to create videos in the first place. It’s thanks to my sponsors that I’m able to create recipes and put them out here for you for free. 🙂
lulu says
How much vanilla extract do you put in the glaze
Karly says
There’s no vanilla in the glaze. 🙂
bipsy44 says
Wondering how much vanilla for the browned butter glaze?! It isn’t listed in the ingredients list but it shows up in the directions for making the glaze! Figuring about a teaspoon or to taste. Browned butter on noodles (the wide egg noodles) is also delish!
Karly says
I actually don’t add any vanilla to the glaze. I’ve had issues with it causing the browned butter to seize up and the glaze is delicious without it. 😉 And yes – browned butter on noodles is amazing!
Jess the Cook says
This glaze looks awesome! I love to bake and I love good, moist cake — but I am not a huge fan of frosting either. A lot of times it’s a ratio thing for me — a little goes a long way. This is why I love pound cake, 7/10 times it doesn’t have frozting or a glaze! I also modify most of my layer cake recipes to fit in a 9×13 pan — the center pieces have just enough frosting for me. My husband won’t flat out admit it, but he prefers when I make layer cakes and cakes with frosting — the mmmms are louder.
I have the perfect cake recipe for this glaze, and the fact that your anti-frosting husband likes this glaze sold it for me. It’s probably perfect for my taste.
You and your husband are the perfect pair. Even though my husband likes frosting, he wouldn’t eat it by itself. So there’s no one to save the day when I scalp a layer cake and look super wasteful throwing all that frosting in the garbage. :(.
Adriana M says
Reading about your husband not liking frosting made me laugh! Now at least I know I’m not alone in this!! I can’t stand to frosting either!! I LOVE sugar but I think there’s thousands of better choices to eat sugar than to waste the calories with the sugary frosting! I always “clean” my cake of all frosting.
If I bake the cake I don’t put frosting on it. My kids hate this because they love frosting.
I will be making this cake, it looks so yummy but of course with no frosting. Thanks for the recipe
Karly says
Oh, but I hope you try the glaze for this one!! 😉
Judy Johnson says
Can I use sweet potatoes since I don’t like pumpkin
Karly says
Sure thing!
Judy Johnson says
Thank you, making it today
Judy Johnson says
I don’t like pumpkin, can I use sweet potatoes . Can’t wait to make it
Alicia J. says
I made this cake Saturday night. I didn’t have a yellow cake mix, but I had a butter pecan. It tastes wonderful. Not sure what the difference would have been with just a plain cake mix, but it is wonderful with the butter pecan and the browned butter glaze. So good, this is a keeper.
Karly says
I bet the butter pecan was perfect!
Donna says
There is no 18.25oz cake mix!!! What did you use???
Karly says
The brands tend to all be a little different, but any between 15-20 ounces will be fine.
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