Coconut Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Coconut Caramel

This coconut pumpkin bundt cake drizzled with coconut caramel has the flavor of fall. This oil-based cake enriched with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and coconut cream is moist, light, and airy.

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Don’t you just love this time of the year? The weather is so gorgeous, and we’ve been having some fun entertaining with friends. I made this cake to take to a friend’s place this week, and it was such a hit! Especially the coconut caramel. I promised them I would post the recipe as soon as I got home. One of the ladies wanted to make it for her family’s Thanksgiving dinner, as her parents from the US were coming to visit her.

I love pumpkins, so at this time of year, I take one of my pumpkin recipes with me anywhere I visit. Often, people will enjoy it and not even realize it has pumpkin puree in it.

About this cake

Everything about this cake says, ‘fall’—the colors, the taste, the flavors!! I love pumpkin, and this time of year, I’m all about pumpkin puree and spice.

The recipe is simple and easy. It uses oil instead of butter, which gives us a light and airy sponge that soaks up all that wonderful caramel.

You can make this a coconut pumpkin cake or replace the coconut cream with sour cream to make a pumpkin bundt cake, as I did with my chocolate chip pumpkin cake.

Unlike the classic caramel, which is made with milk, I used coconut cream for this recipe, and the flavor was out of this world. If you’ve never tried coconut caramel, you are in for a treat.

Of course, you can eat it on its own, but I highly recommend this glaze, as it is truly wonderfully light and moist.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Coconut cream—This coconut cream has the only coconut flavor you have here. I use thick coconut cream from the can.
  In fact, I do not shake the can when removing it from the pantry, so the liquid at the bottom stays undisturbed. When I open the can, I get this thick, luscious coconut cream. But regular coconut cream works just as well.
• Pumpkin puree – I have used homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe, but canned works just as well
• Brown sugar – You can also use white sugar, but the molasses in the brown sugar enhances the caramel flavor. I highly recommend light brown sugar to still get a nice pale color for the cake.
• Pumpkin spice—As always, I’m using my homemade pumpkin spice, but you can also grab one at the store.
• Oil—I prefer to use oil in this batter,, as I think it keeps the cake moist and light. I highly recommend flavorless cooking oil.

Step-by-step instructions

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 160 °C / 320°F.
• Grease and dust with flour in a 6-inch bundt pan for baking.
  Pro tip – You can also use two 6-inch round pans to make this a layer cake.
• In a bowl, combine flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip eggs with sugar until light and foamy – ribbon stage.
  Pro tip – Start by whipping the eggs for a minute, then gradually add the sugar. This will ensure you get a nice volume for your cake.
• Next, gradually add the oil, followed by the coconut cream.
• Then, add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
• Finally, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
  Pro tip – Never overmix a cake batter once you add flour to prevent the formation of gluten.
• Pour batter into your prepared bundt pan or cake pans.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
  Pro tip – Cut the dome off the cake to ensure it is straight before you glaze it.

Caramel

• Place the sugar and water in a deep heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
• As the sugar starts melting, shake the pan just enough to mix it and prevent burning.
  Pro tip – You want to avoid sugar crystals, so keep shaking just when necessary.
• When the sugar starts caramelizing, reduce the heat and let it slowly become a deep amber color.
  Pro tip – Reducing the heat will prevent the sugar from burning.
• Add the coconut cream very carefully, as the caramel will rise and become very steamy. Let the bubbles settle.
• Then, add butter and stir slowly with a heatproof spatula.
• Remove from the heat and add the pumpkin spice and vanilla extract.
• Let the caramel cool for a few hours until it is a thick pouring consistency.
  Pro tip – I highly recommend making the caramel a day in advance if you want to use it immediately on the cake.

Glaze

• Pour the caramel over the cooled cake, making sure to cover the top completely. Serve any extra along with the cake.
  Tip: If the caramel is too thick, heat it in the microwave for just 10 seconds at a time until it has a thick pouring consistency.
• I sprinkled some desiccated coconut over the cake for garnish.

Frequently asked questions

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