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    Home » Recipes

    September 29, 2022 American Recipes

    Easy Pumpkin Pudding Cake- BEST Fall Recipe

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This amazing easy pumpkin pudding cake recipe is perfect for Fall! It’s made with simple ingredients and comes together quickly. The best part is that it’s so soft and delicious!

    If you like fall desserts, I also recommend my Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts, my Cinnamon Apple Crisp, and my Apple Cider Donut Cake.

    A no-fuss pumpkin dessert that smells so cozy while it's baking away. Vegan and totally dairy-free. 

    Colder evenings call for a spoonful (or two!) of this luscious and gooey Pumpkin Pudding Cake. Your favorite fall spices and a super moist cake on top bakes into a juicy brown sugar pudding on the bottom. This pumpkin pudding cake is highly addictive.

    overhead image of easy pumpkin pudding cake in pan

    About this being vegan. It's now pretty easy to find vegan sugars in many markets or online. So to keep this truly vegan, be sure that your sugars are also vegan.

    If you're not vegan and are just interested since it is dairy-free, use your favorite dairy-free nut milk. I like to use either unsweetened almond or coconut milk.

    overhead image of easy pumpkin pudding cake in pan and spoon

    My kids are pumpkin dessert fans, but this pudding cake took things to a whole different level of pumpkin love here in our baking headquarters. My son was quite disappointed the next morning when he thought there was one portion left and proclaimed, "This is a ripoff!". My daughter told me that I better make another one soon. Very soon.

    overhead image of easy pumpkin pudding cake in pan and slice

    What ingredients are in a pumpkin pudding cake?

    • all-purpose flour
    • granulated sugar
    • baking powder
    • sea salt
    • ground cinnamon
    • ground ginger
    • ground nutmeg
    • pumpkin puree
    • unsweetened almond milk
    • coconut oil
    • pure vanilla extract
    • dark brown sugar

    How to make pumpkin pudding cake?

    • Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
    • In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, almond milk, coconut oil and vanilla.
    • Mix the batter until it's combined.
    • Spread the batter into a 3 1/2 quart baking dish.
    • Spread batter evenly with spatula.
    • The last step is the most fabulous step. Whisk together brown sugar and hot water. Pour sugar syrup on top of the pumpkin cake batter. Be sure to not mix it in. Let it settle on top.

    What you will need to make pumpkin pudding?

    • Use a mixture of flours (you could use 1/2 all-purpose and 1/2 almond flour).
    • Make a gluten-free pumpkin pudding cake by using your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour.
    • Adjust the spices to your taste (more cinnamon, less ginger, more nutmeg...however you like).
    • Use melted butter (if you don't want it to be vegan)or you could use vegetable oil.

    How to Serve Pumpkin Pudding Cake

    This cake should be served as soon as possible, preferably the same day. The cake is moist and fluffy when it's warm, while the sauce is thick and gooey. I let it cool slightly after cooking before serving it.

    Is this a dairy-free pumpkin recipe?

    Yes, we used unsweetened almond milk, so it's totally vegan (no eggs in the cake batter) + dairy-free. But go ahead and use whole milk if you're not vegan or dairy-free. 

    overhead image of easy pumpkin pudding cake in pan and slice

    It's this brown sugar syrup on top that makes the magic. Magic? Maybe not truly magic. But a great baking idea to create a syrupy, mushy, squishy, gooey, squidgy (that's what they say in England), pudding cake.

    image of pouring brown sugar syrup on pumpkin pudding cake

    I found that while it was baking I had to make more syrup and add it on 1/2 way through. I was looking for more of saucy border but it wasn't happening. The syrup gets absorbed by the top cake part (which is a good thing).

    What are the origins of a pudding cake?

    This is a riff on a maple pudding cake that is called pudding chômeur, or “unemployed person’s pudding,” which happens to be a traditional and super popular Québecois deserts. Does it seem like it's crazy sweet with that brown sugar syrup on top?

    overhead of pumpkin pudding cake

    Cut back the sugar in the batter. But it's imperative that you add the brown sugar syrup on top. Or you don't get the pudding bottom. If you don't add the sugar syrup, then you're making a pumpkin cake. Which is fine, but it's not going to be as exciting as this cake.

    overhead image of cake with powdered sugar in a white baking dish

    As the pumpkin cake bakes, the cake batter puffs and rises and the brown sugar syrup thickens on the bottom of the pan and becomes like a thick pudding sauce (I'm not joking...out of this world!). The best way to eat this is when it is first baked and very warm. But there is nothing wrong with the leftovers (if you have any the next day).

    How to store leftovers of this cake?

    Spoon out any leftovers into an airtight container or wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week and reheated in a microwave.

    Some other pumpkin desserts to enjoy:

    • Amaretti Almond Pumpkin Pie
    • Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes
    • Vegan Maple Pumpkin Pie

    *Discovered on The Kitchn and adapted Simply Scratch's version.

    Originally published October 2018 and updated for content September 2022. 

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See myprivacy policy for details.

    Just a quick request: if you enjoyed this pumpkin pudding cake as much as we did, would you kindly leave us a 5-star rating and a short (or long!)comment–the ratings are what helps get our recipes and hard work discovered, so we can keep leaving you more delish recipes!

    Your comments mean the world to me….and I really SMILE when I read them. Thank you so much! XX

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Pumpkin Pudding Cake

    Colder evenings call for a spoonful (or two!) of this luscious and gooey Pumpkin Pudding Cake. Warm fall spices in the super soft pumpkin cake that has a juicy brown sugar pumpkin pudding on the bottom.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Keyword: pudding, pumkin
    Servings: 6 servings
    Author: Lora

    Ingredients

    • 1-½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ cup pumpkin puree
    • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or whatever unsweetened dairy-free milk you like (use real milk if you're not dairy-free)
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ¾ cup dark brown sugar
    • 1 cup hot water
    • powdered sugar for serving (optional)
    • whipped cream for serving (optional-use dairy-free for dairy-free)

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350°.
    • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
    • In another medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin, almond milk, coconut oil and vanilla.
    • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir together until completely incorporated.
    • Pour the cake batter into your un-greased baking dish and spread out into an even layer.
    • In a small bowl, whisk dark brown sugar with hot water and pour over the pumpkin cake batter Let the sugar syrup sit on top without stirring it in.
    • Carefully slide the baking dish onto the middle rack of oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
    • Let cake cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle on some confectioner's sugar and dig in.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer Baver says

      October 29, 2018 at 4:27 pm

      This is everything I need today! So perfect for Fall!

      Reply
    2. Allison Mattina says

      October 29, 2018 at 5:09 pm

      This looks absolutely fabulous! Trying it soon!

      Reply
    3. Dee M says

      October 30, 2018 at 5:05 am

      We are kind of obsessed with pumpkin anything right now, and this looks incredible!

      Reply
    4. Gust și Aromă Moldavia says

      October 30, 2018 at 11:15 am

      This is making me hungry! Looks so inviting!

      Reply
    5. Toni | Boulder Locavore says

      October 30, 2018 at 1:39 pm

      This is such an amazing fall treat! Looks so good!

      Reply
    6. Unknown says

      October 30, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      The texture of this pudding cake looks PERFECT! So yummy!

      Reply
    7. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

      October 31, 2018 at 3:32 am

      This is seriously making me hungry!

      Reply
    8. Lisa says

      October 04, 2022 at 11:55 am

      5 stars
      I highly recommend this recipe, it turned out great !

      Reply
      • Lora says

        October 04, 2022 at 1:44 pm

        Hi Lisa-Thank you for taking the time to write me...so happy you enjoyed the pastina recipe!!

      • Lora says

        October 04, 2022 at 1:45 pm

        Hi Lisa-So happy you enjoyed the pumpkin pudding cake!! Thank you!

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    lora and gabby

    Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. With more than 30+ years of experience in the kitchen, Lora has had a great advantage – receiving guidance from both her husband who is an executive chef/restaurant owner and her mother who is a renowned private chef. 

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