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Slice of espresso pumpkin bundt cake on a plate
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Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake

This pumpkin espresso cake is incredibly moist with the perfect pumpkin spice flavor and swirls of brown sugar and espresso. It's drizzled with an espresso glaze for a little extra coffee flavor and sweetness. This bundt cake is warm, comforting and will remind you of your favorite fall coffee.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Espresso Cake
Servings: 12 slices
Author: Fiona Dowling

Equipment

  • 12-cup bundt pan

Ingredients

Espresso Swirl

  • ⅓ cup brown sugar (67 grams) I used dark for a dark swirl
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

  • 2½ cup all-purpose flour (312 grams)
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (240 ml)
  • 1 cup brown sugar (210 grams) light or dark
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 15 ounces pumpkin puree (440 ml) slightly under 2 cups
  • ¼ cup sour cream (60 ml) or plain Greek yogurt

Coffee Icing

  • 1 tablespoon espresso freshly brewed, or very strong coffee
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup you can omit if you don't have any on hand
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar (162 grams) sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk as needed

Instructions

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
  • Make the espresso swirl. In a small bowl whisk together the ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
  • Make the pumpkin cake batter. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a separate large bowl whisk together the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, eggs, pumpkin, and sour cream. Keep whisking until there are no lumps of sugar. Gently, whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain
  • Assemble the cake. Spray the bundt pan with non-stick baking spray, ensuring that all the crevices are coated. Alternatively, grease and flour the pan or brush with pan release. Spoon about ⅓ of the cake batter (about 2 cups) into the pan. Sprinkle ½ of the espresso filling on top. Then spoon another ⅓ of cake batter on top - so that the espresso filling is covered. Sprinkle the remaining ½ of espresso filling on top. Lastly, spoon the remaining cake batter on top.
  • Bake the cake in the middle of the preheated oven for 55-70 minutes. When finished, an inserted toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist cake crumbs. There may be some of the brown sugar espresso filling on the toothpick but there should be no gooey cake batter. The cake should be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
  • Cool the cake in the pan for about 20-30 minutes, then very carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack to continue cooling.

Coffee Icing

  • Make sure the cake is completely cooled first. In a medium bowl whisk together the espresso (or coffee), maple syrup, powdered sugar and salt. Then gently whisk in a little milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until the icing is thin enough to drizzle, but opaque in color. If you want the icing to be a little thicker - then whisk in a little more powdered sugar.
  • Ensure that the cake is on the plate that you plan to serve it from. Pour/drizzle the icing over the top of the cake. If the cake is still warm, it will cause the icing to melt as opposed to harden.

Notes

  1. Instant Espresso Powder: Do not use coffee granules - they will not impart a coffee flavor onto the cake. Instant coffee can be used as a substitute if needed, just be sure that they are very fine granules. 
  2. Pumpkin Puree: Be sure you are using 100% pure pumpkin and not canned pumpkin pie filling - these 2 ingredients are not interchangeable.
  3. Nutrition: Details are an estimate only based on 1 slice - assuming the cake is sliced into 12 uniform pieces and all the icing is used. 
  4. Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 255mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 5638IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg