This is the best pumpkin cake you will ever make! It has a scrumptious caramel glaze and is topped with candied pumpkin seeds. You can't beat it.
The Best Pumpkin Cake Recipe
This Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Glaze and Candied Pumpkin Seeds is moist sweet and wholesome. It makes a nice festive fall presentation, without fussy decoration. Perfect for most occasions.
It's made with oatmeal and molasses, so it's sweet with a deep flavor profile.
A Healthy and Sweet Pumpkin Cake
I wanted a Pumpkin Cake that packed a nutritional punch, while still being sweet and yummy. Here's how I did it.
Wholesome Ingredients
Here's a quick list of what I used, along with a little explanation of why.
- Old-fashioned oatmeal
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom
- Pumpkin Puree
- Molasses
- Light Brown Sugar
- Canola Oil
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Milk
Rather than going 100% natural and whole grain, I balanced wholesome natural ingredients with some traditional baking ingredients. Of course, pumpkin itself is a great start. I used Molasses as a portion of the sweetener, just enough to add flavor without being overpowering.
I used a significant amount of oatmeal too. After doing a ton of gluten-free baking over the past few months I have grown to adore freshly ground oatmeal flour in my baked goods. It has nice flavor and texture, and holds moisture well.
If you haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to do so. No special tools or ingredients are needed, just pulse old fashioned oatmeal in a food processor until flour-like in texture.
If you are looking for a healthier dessert option Pumpkin Cake may be just what you are looking for. The recipe would work well for muffins/cupcakes as well.
Pumpkin Cake with Candied Pumpkin Seeds and Caramel Glaze
This recipe has three printable recipe cards. The first is for the pumpkin bundt cake. After that is the recipe for the candied pumpkin seeds topping. Finally, you can find the homemade caramel glaze. Candied Pepitas can be made in the oven if you prefer, like these candied nuts.
You are going to love this! And you can use the candied pumpkin seeds or the caramel glaze in other recipes too.
While I highly suggest you try this cake, if you need something easier try my Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal or my nearly foolproof Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe.
Oatmeal-Molasses Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom if you don't have this ingredient, just skip it
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 oz pumpkin puree canned
- ½ cup of molasses unsulfered
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and coat bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Put oatmeal in food processor, and pulse until ground to flour texture.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Pulse to mix.
- Beat eggs and vanilla in mixing bowl.
- Add pumpkin, molasses, brown sugar and oil. Mix well.
- Add the flour mixture, and mix well.
- Pour batter into bundt pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Cool on baking rack.
- Once cool, pour glaze over cake and top with seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Candied Pumpkin Seed Topping
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds raw shelled
- 1 pinch of Kosher salt
- ½ tbs. Light brown sugar
Instructions
- Toast the seeds over med-high heat.
- Once seeds are nicely toasted, add the salt & brown sugar.
- Stir until sugar is melted, then dump the seeds onto a plate to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Caramel Glaze
Ingredients
- ½ tbs. butter or coconut oil
- ⅓ cup milk I used almond milk
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Put butter in small sauce pan over med-high heat, once melted add the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir while boiling, until a little thicker than maple syrup.
- Remove from burner, and allow to cool until about the thickness of honey.
- Pour on the top of cake and allow to drip down the sides.
Nutrition
More Amazing Baking Recipes
How's that sweet tooth doing? Still want to make some more goodies? Try these next!
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe
Robin says
Food porn at its best.
Liz says
I love Bundt cakes...they are so beautiful with so little effort. This one is kicked up a notch or two...love it!
james says
BRILLIANT! i just made this over the weekend to bring in for my office's monday morning "tag-up" meeting--we find sugar helps with attendance--and everyone loved it!
the one thing? no one would believe me when i said it was actually a darn healthy treat...it just tasted way too good!