This easy Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake is light, fluffy, and topped with a buttery maple glaze; an impressive Thanksgiving dessert that’s not pie!
This might be the best pumpkin cake I’ve ever had. Pumpkin desserts tend to be really dense and heavy (which there is a time and place for, hello pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting), but this cake is so incredibly light and tender, while also being very moist…it’s magical. Made with brown butter and finished with a maple glaze, this dessert is simple to make, but elegant enough to impress even the pickiest Thanksgiving guests.
Why you’ll love this pumpkin cake
- Light and fluffy. Unlike other pumpkin desserts, which can be very heavy, this pumpkin cake is melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Flavorful. Brown butter adds such a rich, nutty, cozy flavor that can’t be beat and pairs so beautifully with the molasses-y maple glaze.
- Easy. Although a little time intensive, this cake truly is very simple to make and uses pantry staple ingredients.
- Elegant. Bring this to your neighborhood Friends-giving or serve at your own Thanksgiving dinner for a dessert that’s sure to impress!
How to make
- Drain the pumpkin (you’ll need paper towels and a sieve), brown the butter, then cool slightly in a large bowl.
- To the cooled butter, whisk in sugars, egg, vanilla, and drained pumpkin, then fold in flour, spices, and baking soda.
- Pour into a greased 9×13 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
- Cool, top with maple glaze and enjoy!
How to make brown butter
- Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Once melted, continually whisk until brown bits start to form at the bottom of the pan and the butter is foaming, golden in color, and has a nutty aroma. This will take about 1-5 minutes (depending on butter and pan used).
- Carefully and quickly pour into a large bowl (this stops the cooking) and let cool before proceeding with the recipe.
Tips
- Use canned pumpkin purée. Not pumpkin pie filling. This recipe has not been tested using homemade pumpkin purée.
- Drain the pumpkin and brown the butter, then proceed with the recipe. Draining the pumpkin and browning the butter both remove moisture, which prevents the cake from being too wet and heavy.
- Be organized. This recipe is very simple, but does require some time and prep. While the pumpkin is draining, brown the butter. After the butter has been browned, gather all remaining ingredients before continuing the recipe.
- Spoon and level the flour. Don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup to avoid a dry cake.
- Don’t over-mix. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until *just* combined. Over-mixing can yield a dense, gummy cake.
Variations
- Don’t drain the pumpkin or brown the butter. This would make this recipe quicker, but will likely result in a wetter, less flavorful cake.
- Use another topping. Ditch the glaze and try a cream cheese frosting or vanilla buttercream. If you’re not using the glaze, you’ll need to allow the cake to cool completely before spreading with frosting.
How to store
Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. It’s best to avoid refrigerating cake, as it tends to dry out.
To reheat, thaw, if frozen, then heat at room temperature or warmed in the microwave.
– Jennifer
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake
This easy Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake is light, fluffy, and topped with a buttery maple glaze; an impressive Thanksgiving dessert that's not pie!
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 16 slices
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake
- 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree drained*
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour spoon and leveled, then sifted to remove lumps
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Maple Glaze
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted + more if you like a thicker glaze
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a glass 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Once melted, whisk continually until brown bits start to form and the butter is foaming, golden in color, and has a nutty aroma, about 1-5 minutes.
- Carefully and quickly pour into a large bowl and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- To the cooled butter, add in granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and drained pumpkin, then whisk until smooth.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda until *just* combined (over-mixing will yield a dense cake).
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, then bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs sticking to the toothpick is ok).
- Cool for 10 minutes before topping with glaze.
Maple Glaze
- Place butter and maple syrup into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, or until the butter has melted.
- Whisk in powdered sugar and salt, whisking in additional powered sugar until the desired consistency has been reached***.
- Pour over warm cake, then cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving****.
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STORING
Room Temp:3 Days
Refrigerator:N/A
Freezer:2 Months
Reheat:Thaw, if frozen, then enjoy at room temp or warmed in the microwave
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
Notes
*Line a fine mesh sieve with paper towels, scoop the can of pumpkin into the lined sieve, then allow to drain for 30 minutes while the butter is browning and cooling. After 30 minutes, gently blot the top of the pumpkin with additional paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture, then proceed with the recipe as written. **Draining the pumpkin and browning the butter keep this cake really light and fluffy by getting rid of some of the moisture that both pumpkin puree and butter have! ***I like a thinner glaze, because it melts into the cake which makes it nice and moist, but feel free to make a thicker glaze if that’s desired! ****This cake is fantastic warm, but can be a bit crumbly to serve when warm.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 355 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 50mg17%
Sodium 263mg11%
Potassium 123mg4%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 37g41%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 4598IU92%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Keywords: brown butter cake, fluffy pumpkin cake, friendsgiving dessert, maple glaze, pumpkin cake, thanksgiving cake, thanksgiving dessert