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Irresistible Pumpkin Honey Bun Cake Recipe You Need to Try

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Learn how to make delicious Pumpkin Honey Bun Cake. Easy recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (substitute with whole wheat pastry flour for a nuttier flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned, whichever feels right)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey (wildflower honey if you can find it)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes)
  • For the cinnamon swirl:
    • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray. I like to line mine with parchment paper for easy lifting, a little trick Mama Lu taught me when we wanted to save every crumb.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy—about 3 to 4 minutes. This step is key for that tender crumb I remember from Mama Lu’s cakes.
  4. Add the honey to the butter and sugar mixture, stirring until fully incorporated. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
  5. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix gently but thoroughly after each addition. The batter should be smooth and thick, with the pumpkin blending in like a quiet guest at a family dinner.
  6. Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it out evenly with a spatula.
  7. For the cinnamon swirl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl until it forms a thick paste. Dollop spoonfuls of this over the batter in the pan. Using a knife or skewer, gently swirl the cinnamon mixture through the batter in a figure-eight pattern. This creates those sticky, gooey layers that make this cake so unforgettable.
  8. Pour the remaining batter over the top and spread carefully to cover the swirl mixture, being careful not to fully blend it in.
  9. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The cake should spring back when lightly touched.
  10. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before slicing. This resting time lets the cinnamon swirl set properly, just like Mama Lu’s cornbread cooling on the windowsill.

Find it online: https://claracooking.com/pumpkin-honey-bun-cake/