Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Whole sourdough pumpkin cake on a white cake stand next to a wicker cornucopia filled with gourds & small pumpkins.

Sourdough Pumpkin Bundt Cake

By Tammy Spencer
This Sourdough Pumpkin Bundt Cake is moist and warmly spiced, with plenty of chocolate chips and a sweet pumpkin spice glaze. The unfed sourdough discard goes straight into the quick cake batter with no extra sourdough steps needed, making this an easy Fall cake that's pretty enough for the holiday table!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Cooling Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 16 pieces
Calories: 259kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the pumpkin Bundt cake

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg, see Recipe Notes
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cloves, see Recipe Notes
  • ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) ground cardamom, see Recipe Notes
  • ½ 15-ounce can (215 grams) pumpkin purée, NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • ¾ cup (170 grams) sourdough starter discard, unfed
  • 2 (100 grams) large eggs
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (110 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
  • ⅓ cup (60 grams) canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
  • 6 ounces (170 grams) chocolate chips, (1 cup)

For the pumpkin spice glaze

  • ¾ cup (85 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) ground cloves
  • ⅛ teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons (1 to 2 tablespoons) milk, to achieve desired consistency (adjust as necessary)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spray a small 6-cup Bundt pan with baking spray, making sure to get inside the decorative grooves. To be safe from overfilling the Bundt pan, spray a mini loaf pan with baking spray as well.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the ½ 15-ounce can pumpkin purée, ¾ cup sourdough starter discard 2 large eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup dark brown sugar, ⅓ cup canola oil, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Don't overmix - a few small streaks of flour are fine at this point.
    Fold in 6 ounces chocolate chips.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, no more than ⅔ full. Use the remainder to make a small loaf in a mini loaf pan. Place the pans on a half sheet baking pan to ease the transfer to the oven.
  • Bake the cakes for 40 to 50 minutes (the small loaf will take 20 to 25 minutes), until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove the cakes from the oven and cool them in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes before turning them out of the pan back onto the rack. Allow the cakes to finish cooling completely.
  • For the glaze: Sift ¾ cup powdered sugar into a small bowl (this helps prevent lumps in the finished glaze). Add the ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg and whisk until combined. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (starting with the lesser amount), and stir to combine. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 teaspoon of milk or more sifted powdered sugar as needed.
  • Drizzle the glaze onto the cakes. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
  • Storage instructions: This Sourdough Pumpkin Bundt Cake will keep on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days and about 5 days when refrigerated.
    For longer storage, freeze the cake wrapped with plastic wrap and sealed in an airtight bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before bringing it to room temperature to serve.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to substitute ginger or allspice for the cloves, nutmeg, and/or cardamom as you prefer. Or, just use two teaspoons of your favorite pumpkin pie spice instead. Your call.
You can substitute ½ cup (57 grams) chopped walnuts and/or ½ cup (85 grams) raisins (or other dried fruit) instead of the chocolate chips (but really, why?).
Alternative Sourdough Pumpkin cake presentations: This recipe makes a small Bundt cake along with a mini loaf, but you can easily change the size and presentation depending on the pan you use. See the post for pan sizing and timing details. For any pan size, don't fill it more than ⅔ full to prevent the batter from overflowing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 2418IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg