• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Little Sugar Snaps
  • All Recipes
  • Trending
  • Favourites
  • Baking
  • Drinks
  • Savoury
  • Midlands Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Work with Me
  • Portfolio
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Trending
  • Favourites
  • Baking
  • Drinks
  • Savoury
  • Midlands Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Work with Me
  • Portfolio
×

Home » Baking » Cakes

Spiced Bundt Cake with Maple icing

January 22, 2023 by Jane Saunders 10 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Labelled image of a spiced bundt cake with cinnamon water icing drizzled on top.
Labelled image of spiced bundt cake with cinnamon icing, nuts and toasted coconut on top.
Labelled image of a spiced bundt cake with cinnamon water icing drizzled on top.

This spiced bundt cake is delicious and pretty. It has sweet baking spice pumpkin puree, chewy coconut & an amazing cinnamon and maple syrup icing. Though easy to make, this is one delectable bundt spice cake.

Freshly decorated spice bundt cake on a wooden board.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Contents hide
1 Why this bundt spice cake is worth making
2 Ingredients Needed
3 Step by Step Instructions
4 Baking Tips
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 More spiced cakes to admire
7 Recipe
8 Spiced Bundt Cake

This spiced bundt cake is a fine example of the kind of bake that satisfies my baking craving in the autumn and winter. It is easy to make, needs no fancy decorating skills and it is laden with hidden goodies, including pumpkin and coconut.

There’s no doubt that the cooler months of the year are my favourite time of year for baking. Those chilly, crisp mornings bring out the desire in me to hunker down and create something nourishing for the soul.

And by nourishing for the soul I do, of course, mean a sweet treat.

But don’t let the understated appearance of this bundt spice cake fool you. This is one tasty bake. Serve it with a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea after a bracing walk for maximum enjoyment.

Bundt spice cake part cut into slices.

Can’t get enough bundt cakes? Then you’ll love my lemon drizzle cake and my courgette and lime cake.

Why this bundt spice cake is worth making

When you consider all that goes into this spiced bundt cake, it’s easy to see why it fits the bill perfectly for autumn and winter.  There’s:

  • an inviting aroma of seasonal spices wafting around.
  • a mild dose of sweet pumpkin that boosts both flavour and colour.
  • luscious soured cream creating a soft and moist texture.
  • added bite from pecans and coconut.

And… here’s the clincher. This bake has an amazing cinnamon and maple syrup icing dribbled all over it (oh, yes).

All-in-all, this bundt spice cake really is one delectable bake you do not want to miss out on.

Ingredients Needed

Ingredients for pumpkin cake labelled with text overlay

The recipe for this spiced bundt cake is fairly forgiving, meaning that a few substitutions are certainly possible:

Spices: Though you will note in the recipe details that I have listed the individual spices separately, feel free to substitute these with an equivalent amount (3 ½ tsp) of your favourite pumpkin spice mix or chai spice mix.

Flour: this recipe has been developed using plain flour (all-purpose flour) with baking powder and bicarbonate of soda added in. Self raising flour can be used, but in this instance add in only the bicarbonate of soda, not the baking powder as well.

Pumpkin: I used fresh pumpkin puree, although it’s fine to use canned. If you want to know how to make fresh pumpkin puree, an easy method is detailed in my recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies. If you can’t find fresh pumpkin feel free to substitute butternut squash. And if you’re just not digging the idea of pumpkin in your bundt spice cake then substitute some stewed apple sauce in its place.

Nuts: pecans pair so well with the spices, pumpkin and coconut, but these can be replaced by walnuts or hazelnuts.

Soured cream: this adds wonderful softness to the cake. If you have plain full-fat Greek yoghurt to hand, this can be used as a substitute for the soured cream

Step by Step Instructions

Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

This spiced bundt cake is very easy to make and a breeze to decorate. Follow these instructions for a cake packed full of seasonal flavour coupled with rustic charm:

  1. Sift the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with electric beaters for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. (If the batter begins to split during this process, mix in a spoonful of the flour to help re-bind the ingredients before continuing to add more egg (though it doesn’t really matter since the cake will still bake up perfectly well)).
  3. Beat in the soured cream followed by the pumpkin puree.
  4. On a medium speed, use the beaters to mix the flour into the batter.
Collage of images showing cake batter being prepared.
  1. Fold through the desiccated coconut and the nuts until evenly distributed.
  2. Spoon the batter into a prepared tin and bake for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned and a skewer comes out clean. (If, after 30 minutes, you are worried about the cake top burning, lay foil across the top).
  3. Once cooked, allow the pumpkin cake rest for 2 minutes, then turn out of the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
  4. Toast the dessicated coconut in a dry frying pan, turning and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until golden all over. Allow to cool.
  5. Sieve the icing sugar and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl.
  6. Add the maple syrup and mix with half the water. Keep adding more water in ½ teaspoon increments until a smooth icing with a fairly thick pouring consistency is attained. It should be runny enough to trickle down the side of the cake, but not thin enough to soak in.
Collage of images showing a spiced bundt cake and icing being mixed.
  1. When the cake is completely cold, drizzle the icing over the cake in a zig-zig pattern. Repeat the zig-zigs, but in the opposite direction.
  2. Sprinkle the coconut and chopped pecan nuts over the top.
Collage of images showing a cake being decorated with icing and nuts.

Baking Tips

  • When it comes to cake baking, I use tins I know I can rely on to produce an even bake and allow the cake to be released easily. As tins get older, sometimes their supposed non-stick properties can deteriorate, so keep an eye on the condition of your bundt tin.
  • That said, regardless how old a tin is, I will always grease it. When using bundt tins, I find cake release spray convenient and simple to use. It’s so easy to spray it into tricky corners.
  • Bundt tins can vary in shape and size significantly. For this pumpkin cake, I used a round silicon mold with a 27cm diameter. I found that a 2 egg recipe was insufficient to adequately fill it, whereas the 3 egg recipe I have listed below was slightly too much. In instances like this, it’s always better to fill the tin two thirds full and use any excess batter to make a cupcake or two.
  • And because bundt tins vary in size and shape, treat my baking times as a guide only. Your spiced bundt cake may need more/ less time to cook, depending on the tin used.
  • I strongly caution against opening your oven door too early during the baking process though. Aim for the first check at least 30 minutes into the bake. And keep the opening and closing of the oven door to a minimum. This reduces the risk of a part-baked cake deflating.
  • If your cake is taking longer to bake, and the top is beginning to brown too much, slide a piece of foil or parchment across the top. This will give a little protection to the top while the middle of the cake finishes cooking.
  • Readers looking for a vegan bundt spice cake might be interested in this alternative and those on a gluten-free diet might like to take a look at this bundt cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know when my spiced bundt cake is cooked?

Since bundt tins vary significantly in size and proportions, I advise testing for doneness after 35 minutes using a skewer. When poked into the spiced bundt cake the skewer will come out clean, or with a few crumbs attached, if the cake is baked through. If batter is still evident, then continue to bake the cake for another 5 minutes and test again.

My caveat to the advice above is that if you know your bundt tin usually takes say, 45 minutes to fully bake a cake, it is better to leave it until closer to this time before the first check. Remember, it is always best to limit the amount of times the oven door is opened when baking cakes.

How should I store this cake?

This bundt spice cake is best stored at room temperature. Wrap any cut ends with clingfilm and store in an airtight container and it will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

Alternatively, it can be made in advance and frozen provided it is not iced. Simply defrost and proceed to add the icing, nuts and toasted coconut.

It is not advisable to freeze this cake if it has already been iced. Water icing does not hold up well once frozen and defrosted.

What else can I add to this cake?

Trust me, this spiced bundt cake is gorgeous in the simplicity of the flavours already included. However, if you wanted to take things further, some dark chocolate chips, raisins or even dried cranberries, would be my top choice of additions.

More spiced cakes to admire

If you’ve had your fill of bundt cake for now, consider baking one of these impressive spice cakes next:

Sticky Ginger Cake
Check out this recipe
Close up view of a sticky ginger loaf cake.
Derbyshire Thor Cake (Black Treacle Cake for Bonfire Night)
Check out this recipe
Close up of thor cake (a version of parkin).
Apple Traybake Cake
Check out this recipe
Spiced Apple Traybake Cake - featured image
Cinnamon Apple Cake with Salted Maple Buttercream
Check out this recipe
A 2 layer cinnamon and apple cake sandwiched together with buttercream and decorated with dried apple and ground cinnamon. Presented on a wire rack with slices of apple and pine cones around it

Have you made this bundt spice cake recipe? I hope you enjoyed it. Please consider leaving a recipe rating and/or comment to let me know how you got along. I always love hearing from readers.

Recipe

Close-up of a spiced bundt cake with cinnamon frosting, nuts and coconut.

Spiced Bundt Cake

Jane Saunders
This spiced bundt cake is perfect for autumn and winter. It has seasonal spice, sweet pumpkin, chewy coconut & an amazing cinnamon and maple icing. This is one delectable bundt spice cake.
5 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Baking
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 445kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For the Spice Blend (or use 3 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice mix/ chai spice of your choice)

  • 1 ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground mace

For the Sponge Cake

  • 275 g Soft light brown sugar
  • 150 g Butter (softened)
  • 3 Eggs – large, free range
  • 125 ml Soured cream
  • 125 ml Pumpkin puree* (see notes)
  • 275 g Plain (all purpose) flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 40 g Desiccated coconut
  • 40 g Pecan nuts (chopped)

For the Maple Frosting

  • 250 g Icing sugar (sifted)
  • ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon Maple syrup
  • 8 teaspoon tsp water
  • 1 tablespoon Desiccated coconut
  • 2 tablespoon Pecan nuts (chopped)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven 170ºC/325ºF/ GM3 and grease the baking tin
  • Sift the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl
  • Combine the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with electric beaters for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and the colour begins to lighten
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between addition. If the batter begins to split, mix in a spoonful of the flour before adding more egg
  • Beat in the soured cream followed by the pumpkin puree
  • On a medium speed, use the beaters to mix the flour into the wet ingredients
  • Finally, fold through the dessicated coconut and the nuts until evenly distributed
  • Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared tin (⅔ full) and bake for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned and a skewer comes out clean. (If, after 30 minutes, you are worried about the cake top burning, lay foil across the top)
  • Once cooked, allow to rest for 2 minutes, then turn out of the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack

To Decorate

  • Toast the dessicated coconut in a dry frying pan, turning and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until golden all over. Allow to cool
  • Sieve the icing sugar and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl
  • Add the maple syrup and half the water. Mix well and keep adding more water in ½ teaspoon increments until a smooth icing with a fairly thick pouring consistency is attained. It should be runny enough to trickle down the side of the cake, but not thin enough to soak in
  • Drizzle the icing over the cake in a zig-zig pattern. Repeat the zig-zigs, but in the opposite direction
  • Finally, sprinkle the coconut and pecan nuts over the top

Notes

Substitutions

  • Use 3 ½ teaspoon of your favourite pumpkin spice blend or chai spice blend instead of the spices listed above.
  • Use canned pumpkin puree if you don’t have fresh to hand or use butternut squash puree or stewed apple sauce.
  • It’s fine to use Greek yoghurt (full fat) instead of soured cream.

Tips

  • I always grease my baking tin, even if it is brand new and nonstick. When using bundt tins I find cake release spray convenient and easy to use as it can get into tricky corners
  • Bundt tins can vary in shape and size significantly. I used a baking tin with an outer circumference of approx 80cm/ 31″ (diameter 27cm/ 10″). If your tin is smaller than this, then the extra batter can be used to make sweet little cupcakes
  • Never fill your tin more than ⅔ full – it is far better to repurpose the extra batter than have a cake rise up and spill over the baking tin in the oven
  • Because bundt tins vary in size and shape, treat my baking times as a guide only. Your cake may need more/ less time to cook, depending on the tin used
  • I strongly caution against opening your oven door too early during the baking process though. Aim for the first check at least 30 minutes into the bake and keep the opening and closing of the oven door to a minimum to reduce the risk of a part-baked cake deflating
  • If your cake is taking longer to bake, and the top is beginning to brown too much, slide a piece of foil or parchment across the top to give a little protection while the middle of the cake finishes cooking in the oven
  • Store at room temperature for up to 3 days (wrapped and in an airtight container). Alternatively, freeze before adding the icing

Nutrition Per Serving (Approximate)

Calories:445kcal | Carbohydrates:65g | Protein:5g | Fat:20g | Saturated Fat:10g | Cholesterol:73mg | Sodium:308mg | Potassium:148mg | Fiber:2g | Sugar:45g | Vitamin A:2058IU | Vitamin C:1mg | Calcium:56mg | Iron:2mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @littlesugarsnap or tag #littlesugarsnaps!
(Visited 335 times, 2 visits today)

More Easy Cake Recipes

  • Spiced Apple Traybake Cake - featured image
    Apple Traybake with Cinnamon
  • Close up of a Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Cake with whipped ganache.
    Ferrero Rocher Cake
  • Close-up of a Raffaello cake (coconut almond torte) with a slice on a plate.
    Raffaello Torte (Coconut and Almond Torte)
  • Close up of thor cake (a version of parkin).
    Thor Cake – Black Treacle Cake from Derbyshire

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Melissa Latin

    November 26, 2020 at 9:23 pm

    5 stars
    Can’t wait to make this.

    Reply
  2. Ayngelina

    November 26, 2020 at 5:11 pm

    5 stars
    I loved the addition of soured cream, I think it makes for a great complexity in flavour. Much more interesting than a typical pumpkin pie!

    Reply
  3. Joanne Higginson

    October 06, 2020 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    I was lucky enough to taste this and I can honestly say, absolutely delish!

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      October 07, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      Ah thankyou Jo!

      Reply
  4. Britni

    October 03, 2020 at 2:07 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good and that icing flavor just took it over the top!

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      October 03, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      Ah thanks for the feedback Britni. Please you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  5. Lauren Kleiman

    October 02, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    I really like the addition of coconut in this recipe. It takes this cake to the next level.

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      October 02, 2020 at 5:30 pm

      Thanks – it certainly adds a little extra texture to the cake which I like.

      Reply
  6. Betty Davies

    August 26, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    Is it wrong to be excited for fall so I can cosy up with all those flavors?! What a delicious cake, perfect for cosying up with with a mug of hot chocolate! Bring on the cool weather!

    Reply
  7. Jennifer

    August 21, 2019 at 5:58 pm

    5 stars
    I’m in the mood for cool, autumn weather, so I had to experiment with this pumpkin pecan cake. It was wondeful. I’ll be sure to make it again, especially for when I’m craving some hygge time with that hot cocoa you suggested.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Headshot of jane Saunders (Jane Coupland) Food Photographer and Blogger at LittleSugarSnaps

Hello there. I'm Jane. Welcome to LittleSugarSnaps - my place for sharing enticing and easy sweet and savoury recipes with a side helping of cocktails.

More about me →

Inforgraphic with image and text overlay for newsletter subscription

POPULAR RECIPES

  • An Amaretto sour cocktail garnished with egg white foam and cocktail cherries
    Disaronno Sour (Amaretto Sour)
  • Cheese Savoury Sandwich for Afternoon Tea cut dainty and served on pretty crockery with a rocket leaf garnish
    Cheese Savoury Recipe for Afternoon Tea Sandwiches
  • Close up of a slice of minced beef pie with peas and gravy.
    Minced Beef and Onion Pie (Shortcrust Pastry)
  • An espresso martini with Baileys topped with grated chocolate.
    Baileys Espresso Martini
  • Close up of egg mayo sandwiches - featured image
    Egg Mayo Sandwich
  • TRIPLE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE
    Triple Chocolate Layer Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

As Seen In...

Footer

^ back to top

SIGN UP! for emails and updates

Information

  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertising
  • Accessibility Policy

About

  • About Jane
  • Contact Me
  • Work with Me

Featured In...

Featured in image with text only

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

All content is © 2014-2022 Jane Saunders & LittleSugarSnaps.com. All rights reserved.

Please ask permission before using any images or recipes.