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Pumpkin Gingerbread Bundt With Butterscotch Glaze

Close shot if a Christmas dining table with pink crokery and a golden butterscotch glazed gingerbread bundt cake in the centre.
Butterscotch glazed pumpkin gingerbread bundt cake is a warming gingerbread cake, with pumpkin or squash puree, topped with a sublime butterscotch flavoured glaze.
Caro @ Caroline's Easy Baking Lessons
Prep Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time/Inactive Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Serving Size 10 Slices

Equipment

  • Scales or measuring cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Small measuring jug
  • Small Cooking Pot
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Hand Whisk
  • Homemade lining paste/cake goop (make your own homemade lining paste/cake goop or use cake release spray or butter )
  • 6.5" Bundt Tin (17cm, ‘Kugelhopf smaller bundt, see notes*)
  • Sieve
  • Medium bowl x 2
  • Metal Spoon
  • Cooling rack
  • OVEN: 180°c/160°c Fan Oven/350°f/Gas Mark 4

Ingredients

  • 87 grams Unsalted Butter (3 oz, ⅓ cup - no need to soften)
  • 115 grams Golden Syrup (4 oz, ⅓ cup+ 2 tsp, or 5 tbsp)* see notes & before recipe for tips
  • 58 grams Black Treacle (2 oz, ⅙ cup or 3 tbsp, see notes)
  • 87 grams Light Brown Sugar (3 oz or scant ½ cup*)
  • 1¾ tsp Ground Ginger
  • ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda (Baking Soda)
  • 2 Medium-Large Eggs (Large or Extra Large size US)
  • 70 ml Yoghurt (⅓ cup, 2⅓ fl oz, or milk)
  • 83 grams Pumpkin Puree (3 oz, ⅓ cup or Butternut Squash)*
  • 173 grams Plain Flour (6 oz, 1⅓ Cups All Purpose Flour)
  • 2¾ tsp Baking Powder (don't add if using UK Self-raising Flour)

For Butterscotch Icing/Glaze

  • 45 grams Unsalted Butter (1½ oz, ⅓ stick, cubed)
  • 52 grams Dark Brown Sugar (1¾ oz, ¼ cup)
  • 4 tsp Milk (20ml, ⅔ fl oz)
  • ¾ tsp Vanilla Extract (Make homemade vanilla or alcohol-free vanilla)
  • 95 grams Icing/Powdered Sugar (3⅓ oz, ¾ cup, sieved)
  • 3 tsp Milk (Added gradually, more may be needed).

For Decoration

  • 4-6 pieces Crystalized Stem Ginger Pieces (chopped small, optional)
  • Ginger flavoured sugar granules (from ginger tub/packet, optional)

Instructions

Prepare The Cake

  • Start by cubing the 87 grams Unsalted Butter (no need to soften), & add to a medium cooking pot with the ¼ tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda (baking soda), ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon, 1¾ tsp Ground Ginger, 58 grams Black Treacle & 115 grams Golden Syrup **TIP – if you can, buy the squeezy bottle of Golden Syrup to make it easier to use.  Alternatively, grease a spoon with cooking spray oil, (like Frylight spray) & the syrup/honey will drip off easily.
  • Add 87 grams Light Brown Sugar to the pot & heat everything on a low-medium, letting the butter melt & sugar dissolve.  Remove & transfer to another bowl to cool for at least 10 minutes.
  • Set the oven to 180°c/160°c Fan Oven/350°f/Gas Mark 4.  **If using an air fryer that does not require preheating, turn on later.
  • Break the 2 Medium-Large Eggs into a mixing bowl & whisk before adding the 70 ml Yoghurt (or milk) & whisking all together.  Finally add in the 83 grams Pumpkin Puree (or squash puree) & mix together. (Read my article on how to make homemade roasted pumpkin(squash) puree.)
  • After 10 minutes of cooling the hot mixture, add the egg/puree mixture & mix together.
  • Sieve over the 173 grams Plain Flour  & 2¾ tsp Baking Powder, (omit baking powder if using UK Self-raising flour).  By hand or with a mixer, mix the ingredients just until combined and no dry patches remain. A little lumpy is fine.

Baking The Cake

  • Well grease the bundt pan with home made lining paste (aka Cake Goop), cake release spray or butter & flour.  (See step-by-step instructions or video for reference).
  • Spoon the batter carefully into the bundt tin, level off & if any batter drips, simply wipe away and grease the area before baking. Tap on the worktop/counter a few times & then place on a cookie tray/sheet before popping in the centre of the oven/air fryer to bake.
  • Bake for about 35-45 minutes till a cocktail stick comes out clean of crumbs and the cake is coming away at the sides.   (**After about 15 minutes or when the top is set, you can cover with foil & continue to bake).  Place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
  • Using a plate/cake stand on top of the cake, turn everything over to release the cake.  Leave at least 30 minutes to decorate.

Preparing The Butterscotch Glaze

  • Brown & clarify the butter first, by adding 45 grams Unsalted Butter to a medium cooking pot & allowing to melt.  Let come to a boil & bubble at least 5 minutes till fats & liquids separate.  The butter will smell nice & foam will form on the surface.
  • Browned particles will be seen under the surface & be ready to remove once the colour of the liquid changes to a very slight brown colour.
  • Sieve into a bowl & discard any foam or residue left in the sieve (browned particles in the bowl is fine). 
  • Return the butter to the pot & add 4 tsp Milk & the 52 grams Dark Brown Sugar.   Mix together & let come to a boil, then a full boil with bursting bubbles.  Stir regularly.
  • Remove from the heat & add the sieved 95 grams Icing/Powdered Sugar, mixing together into an extra thick lumpy paste.
  • Add ¾ tsp Vanilla Extract & 1 tsp milk, beat well till a smooth pourable glaze is formed, (adding more milk if needed).  Then add 1 tsp more milk & beat again (this is because the glaze sets up really quickly & we want to have time to add to the cake strategically).  **So only make the glaze when ready to use.

Decorating The Cake

  • Chop crystalized ginger pieces into small pieces to decorate.
  • Spread the glaze very carefully on the top of the bundt cake only.  Go round slowly, trying not to let it drip much.  The extra thick glaze should be easy to manipulate to drip only very slightly down the grooves of the bundt cake.
  • Let some glaze drip down the centre of the cake if more glaze to cake ratio is desired.
  • Layer a second layer of glaze on top of the first, immediately after the first coat, for a nice proportion of glaze.
  • Add the chopped ginger pieces and finish with the ginger flavoured sugar from the ginger tub/packet. Alternatively use coloured sanding sugar, sprinkles, chopped nuts or even frosted fresh cranberries. 

Serving & Storing

  • Can be served immediately, with your favourite hot drink.  Goes great as is or with some cream or ice-cream.
  • Store at room temperature, in a metal cake or cookie tin, or under a cake dome for up to 7 days.  Do not store in the fridge as it can cause condensation.
  • This gingerbread bundt can be frozen, but best frozen unglazed.  Wrap well, whole or slices, in paper, then foil or cling film/plastic wrap and finally in a labelled & dated food bag or airtight container, for up to 3 months1.   Defrost on the counter if slices, or overnight in the fridge for a whole cake. Serve or prepare & add glaze when at room temperature.

Video

Notes

**Toggle the photos or notes, on or off, when opting to print this recipe card.  And select the 'Cook Mode' to stop the screen going blank if following along while baking. 
Black Treacle, Golden Syrup & Corn Syrup Debate  -  Read more about Black Treacle & Golden Syrup, before this recipe card.  As well as an experiment & why it does not taste as good with substitutes like light & dark corn syrup.  Also included is where you can buy these British products if you are in the US/Canada. 
Close photo in white table and background of tin of British black treacle and an Aldi bottle of squeezy golden syrup.
Yoghurt - thick set plain/natural yoghurt like Greek style or use milk.
Sugar - light brown sugar used in the cake batter, but dark brown sugar or coconut sugar would also work.  Artificial sweeteners are not recommended.  Dark brown sugar used in the glaze.
Pumpkin Puree - use pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), or even squash/butternut squash puree).  See my guide to Roasted Pumpkin Puree.
Close photo of golden butterscotch glazed gingerbread bundt cake, with slice missing.Flour - if using UK Self-raising, make sure to omit the baking powder, but still use the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda).
Glazing Day After  -You can wait to glaze the cake, a day later.   Leave out at room temperature to cool completely, before storing in a tin or wrapped in cling film/plastic wrap.  Don't put in the fridge, as condensation will occur & wet the cake.   Gingerbread cake does improve in flavour day or two after baking.
Close shot of pink plate with a slice of butterscotch glazed gingerbread bread bundt cake served, with brass & pink fork.
Recipe Yield/Bundt Tin/Pan - batter can make one 6.5" (17cm) ‘Kugelhopf' bundt cake, with 10 slices.  For a regular 10 cup (8/8.5″, 21cm) bundt, double the recipe.
Variations On The Recipe  -See my original Gingerbread loaf cake,  or mini gingerbread bundt cakes, gingerbread traybake/squares, new for 2025 quick pumpkin spice buns, or Acorn Chai Gingerbread Mini Cakes. 
Close shot of mini gingerbread acorn shaped cakes, on round wooden tree-like board, surrounded by Autumn leaves and fircones.***For more information, step-by-step recipe, process photos, please see before this recipe card.
More cakes on my Cake Recipes Page, or try my Christmas Recipes Page
Get some ideas & recipes for Food Gifting your homemade treats.
Table with pink and vintage crockery and Cjristmas decorations, surrounding a gingerbread bundt cake with a golden butterscotch glaze and ginger piece son top.
Fan of GBBO (Great British Baking Show)?  Learn more about differences in UK & US baking ingredients, or view, save & print my common baking ingredients conversion table. Includes gram, ounce & cup measurements. (Note all are hand measured by myself during recipe development & testing).
Occasionally I accept new members to Facebook group 'Great British Bake Off Fans'.  Or join my Facebook group 'Easy Online Baking Lessons' to accompany this lesson website. 
Overhead shot of a bundt pineapple upside-down cake, on pink plate with pink napkin and flowers.
 
Reference - Freezing old fashioned gingerbread cake information, taken from Delia Smith @ deliaonline/freezing-gingerbread/
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***I am not a qualified nutritionist, and all nutritional values are approximate & based on a serving of 1 slice of butterscotch glazed pumpkin gingerbread bundt cake, from a yield of 10 slices & assumes all of the above ingredients (including fat free Greek-style yoghurt) are used. **Please note there will be glaze left-over unless you completely cover the cake.  So if not completely covered, the calories will be less. Bigger or smaller slices and these values will change.  All values calculated via website MyFitnessPal.com.
 
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Gingerbread Bundt With Butterscotch Glaze
Serving Size
 
1 slice
Amount per Serving
Calories
336
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
12
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
 
7
g
44
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
4
g
Cholesterol
 
66
mg
22
%
Sodium
 
535
mg
23
%
Potassium
 
158
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
53
g
18
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
38
g
42
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.