Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake is a from scratch Bundt cake with a cream cheese swirl mixed into a pumpkin flavored cake. Using less sugar and unsweetened applesauce, this recipe is a healthier take on other options, but doesn't lose that great flavor.
Update: This recipe was originally shared in October 2015. The recipe and photos have been updated and republished in October 2022.
The weather has cooled off, I can no longer wear shorts and I've grudgingly accepted that the fall season is upon us. Which means it's no better time than to share a recipe involving canned pumpkin, spices and a cream cheese swirl.
What is Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
This simple homemade cake uses a whole can of pumpkin puree, fall-flavored spices and swirled with a cheesecake-like cream cheese filling. The cake is baked in a Bundt pan, allowing you to serve 12-16 thick slices of cake!
Ingredients
- all purpose flour
- brown sugar
- baking soda
- salt
- canned pumpkin puree
- spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves
- cream cheese
- eggs
- applesauce
- sugar
- vanilla
Instructions
First, preheat the oven to 350. Spray a Bundt pan with baking spray, or grease and dust with flour.
Then mix together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and spices.
Next, whisk together the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg and egg whites, applesauce and vanilla.
Then mix wet and dry ingredients together.
After that, make the cream cheese filling. Beat softened cream cheese with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with sugar, egg white and vanilla until smooth.
Then transfer the batter to the Bundt pan. Add half of the cake batter to the pan and top with dollops of the cream cheese mixture. Swirl with a knife, then add the remaining batter and cream cheese mixing, swirling again.
Finally, bake that cake! Bake for 55-60 minutes until a baked through and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then flip the cake out onto a plate, slice and serve.
Substitutions
- Healthier cake: replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and use reduced or fat free cream cheese
- Egg Whites: swap out the two egg whites for 1 large egg (2 total eggs in the cake)
- Spices: Replace the individual spices with 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
To me, there's nothing prettier than a cream cheese swirl in a pumpkin bundt cake!
FAQ
As this cake as a cream cheese swirl in it, you don't need a frosting too - but candied pecans, a maple buttercream or even a cream cheese frosting would be delicious.
Unsweetened applesauce! I use 4 ounces of unsweetened applesauce in place of oil in this pumpkin cream cheese swirled cake.
If you don't have a Bundt pan, this cake can also be made in a 9x13 baking dish and baked for 50-55 minutes. Make a cream cheese frosting to top it off for a really delicious cake!
More Pumpkin Recipes You'll Love
Small Batch Pumpkin Cupcakes | Baked Pumpkin Donut Bites | Classic Pumpkin Roll
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Recipe
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 large egg
- 4 oz unsweetened apple sauce
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a Bundt pan with baking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.1 ⅔ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¾ cup brown sugar
- In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.2 large egg whites, 1 large egg, 4 oz unsweetened apple sauce, 15 oz pumpkin puree
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until no lumps of flour remain.
- In a mixer, add the cream cheese filling ingredients and mix until combined.8 oz cream cheese, 1 large egg white, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spread it into an even layer. Add half of the cream cheese as dollop on top and swirl with a knife.
- Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture and cream cheese, swirling on top.
- Bake for 1 hour then let set for 10 minutes. Place a plate on top of the Bundt pan and flip it over, turning out the cake. Slice cake into pieces.
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