Bourbon Pumpkin Walnut Bundt Cake + Video
I’ve held out. September came and went. October passed. And only now, earlyish November, have I decided to finally get on the train and post a pumpkin recipe. In the form of a Bundt cake. With alcohol in it. Cuz it’s been a crazy year, to say the least. Not that I really needed excuses.
Here’s why I’ve waited so long: I generally only post one pumpkin dessert recipe a year. Because I don’t LOVE pumpkin desserts. So, I usually limit my pumpkin recipe testing to one dessert each fall, cuz that’s as much pumpkin as I can handle. And since there’s just the one pumpkin recipe on the blog each year, I make sure that that pumpkin-full dessert is a REAAAALLLLLY good one.
Anyway. November seems just as appropriate a time to post a pumpkin recipe as October might have been. Or more so, seeing as it’s Thanksgiving in a few weeks and Thanksgiving equals pumpkin everything.
Another thing I got around to posting: a video tutorial, on how to make this bourbon pumpkin walnut Bundt cake. Watch:
Or, watch it on YouTube.
Allow me to state for the record that I’ve vacillated on whether or not to capitalize “bourbon” every time I wrote it in this post. The views on the subject matter are contentious. And unclear.
So, I decided to just go ahead with the easier route, and not bother capitalizing the word. I hope you can understand.
Moving on.
Adding pumpkin to cakes and such makes them super moist and squishy and tender. So you KNOW this bourbon pumpkin cake is outttathisworld moist. Like, the type of moist that’ll make this pumpkin cake stay soft and tender and fresh for DAYZE. Literally — over a week.
And not only that. I find that this pumpkin walnut Bundt cake actually IMPROVES over time. The flavors get stronger, the texture stays just as moist and tender — it's astonishing, really.
Now. The bourbon. There’s 1/3 cup in this Bundt cake. You’re gonna taste it. It adds that deep, smoky, warm, caramel, autumnal, and well, alcoholic flavor to this pumpkin cake. And it’s wonderful and unique and sophisticated and special.
Also. If you’re worried that all the alcohol content gets cooked out while this cake is in the oven, fear not — there’s also some more bourbon in the glaze. And that doesn’t get cooked at all, aright?
This bourbon pumpkin Bundt cake is dairy-free. It’s made in one bowl, by hand. It’s quick and easy.
And, as mentioned, this pumpkin cake is really, really moist and tender and soft and fluffy and also hefty and dense and just a teeny bit crumbly.
As for flavor.
We’ve got two full cups of pumpkin puree. That’s a lot of pumpkin. That’s a lot of flavor.
Then: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves. You’re getting all the warm, cozy fall spices here.
Also: a combo of brown and white sugar. For a balance of deep molasses flavor and richness with lightness and fluffiness.
Additionally: vanilla extract. Lots. And that bourbon we talked about. Yum yum.
And lastly: walnuts. Chopped up into crunchy bits. The walnuts add a crunchy, crackly contrast to the moist, soft cake crumb and a nutty, earthy tasty addition. You can skip the walnuts, if you’d like, but I personally LOVE nuts (especially walnuts) in my desserts.
And the glaze.
Confectioners sugar, some more cinnamon, some more bourbon, some more vanilla, some more oil, and some milk for thinning.
It’s rich and flavorful and bourbon-y and spicy and sweet and glossy and sticky and makes this bourbon pumpkin walnut cake that much more appealing.
Quick and easy. Soft and moist. Tender and fluffy. Rich and hefty. Sweet and spicy. Cozy and comforting. Bourbon-full and walnut-full. Dairy-free and damn good.
Bourbon pumpkin walnut Bundt cake — I’ll have six slices of you as my chaser, thanks.
Bourbon Pumpkin Walnut Bundt Cake
Yield: 12-16 servings
2 1/4 cups packed flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups pure pumpkin puree
1 cup canola/vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon bourbon whiskey
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3 tablespoons milk (or non-dairy milk)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a large Bundt pan well.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the first eight dry ingredients, through ground cloves.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in everything else except the walnuts. Stir until just combined. Mix in chopped walnuts.
4. Pour batter into Bundt pan. Bang pan against countertop a few times to remove air bubbles. Bake for 50-65 minutes, until cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out just clean.
5. Let cake cool somewhat before running a knife along the edges of the Bundt pan to help release the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a sheet of parchment paper or foil. Let cake cool completely before glazing.
6. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until a thick yet pourable consistency forms. Drizzle glaze over cake. Flavor of cake actually improves over the following days!
