Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake
There’s something especially cozy and right about a pumpkin and spice bundt cake in the autumn. This Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake hits all those notes perfectly… and that took some effort on my part, as I actually had two fail-cakes in the process of developing this recipe.
This isn’t a heavily sweet cake. There is no dense glaze. This cake is really all about pumpkin and spice, with the chocolate and apple butter beautifully complementary.
This is the kind of cake that functions well for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10-cup bundt pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup half & half or milk
- confectioners’ sugar to dust top
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Generously apply nonstick spray to a 10-cup bundt pan.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, apple butter, and eggs until no eggy streaks remain. Add pumpkin puree and half & half. Fold in the dry ingredients, scraping bottom of bowl to incorporate everything.
- Pour batter into pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; the middle of the cake should pass the toothpick test.
- Let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully invert cake onto cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar over the top. Slice and serve. Cake can also be sliced, wrapped, and frozen for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake
I’m sharing this recipe today to help folks out there be prepared for an awesome way to use up leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays: use it to fill this Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake.
And if you don’t have cranberry sauce–or the full amount this recipe calls for? Use a thick fruit jelly, jam, or preserve.
The texture of this is like a pound cake, moist and soft. It’s perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Bready or Not Original: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10 cup bundt pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce or thick fruit jelly, jam, or preserve
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream or plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
Make bundt cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.
- If the cranberry sauce or other filling is cold from the fridge, zap slightly in microwave to bring to room temperature and loosen.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and sour cream.
- Spoon about half the batter into the pan. Use a spoon to create a deep trench in the batter going all the way around the pan. Spoon in the cranberry sauce to fill the trench, taking care that it doesn’t touch the sides of the pan; if it touches, it may stick and make cake removal trickier.
- Pour the remaining batter over the top. Smooth out.
- Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes inside the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack. Cool cake completely.
Make glaze
- In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add more sugar or milk as needed to form a thick texture. Drizzle over the cake. Let set 30 minutes before cutting.
- Cake can be stored under a dome at room temperature. It can also be sliced and individually wrapped to freeze.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Apple Galettes for Two
This recipe for Apple Galettes for Two is perfect for a special occasion breakfast or brunch, especially if the dough is prepared a day or two ahead of time!
Apple is used two ways to fill these tarts: it is thinly sliced, and also minced or grated. Apple infuses every bite in the best kind of way.
The directions are long but the actual procedure isn’t complex. The result, however, is rustic and beautiful, and tastes as good as it looks!
Modified from Tiny Apple Tarts for Two at King Arthur Flour.
Bready or Not: Apple Galettes for Two
Equipment
- food scale
- plastic wrap
- parchment paper
- pastry brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 1 medium firm baking apple or two small apples such as Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp (200g to 220g)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice divided
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar divided
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- pinch table salt
Topping
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon half & half or milk or water
- 1 Tablespoon maple sugar or turbinado sugar
- jarred caramel optional
Instructions
Make the dough
- Stir together the flour and salt. Use a knife to dice up butter. Use a fork and fingers to break the butter down to small pieces, coated in flour.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of the water and stir in. Add tiny increments, mixing between each addition, just until the dough can form clumps when pressed. Form into a cohesive ball.
- Place down two long pieces of plastic wrap. Use the food scale to divide dough in half. Compress each lump into a small disk. Encase each in plastic wrap and chill until firm, for at least 30 minutes or as long as a day or two.
Make filling
- Begin by preparing the apple or apples. Peel, core, and halve. Cut one half into thin slices. Transfer these slices to a bowl and toss with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Reduce the other half of the apple(s) to small pieces by either finely dicing or grating on the large holes of a box grater. Place pieces in bowl. Toss with other 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon sugar. Stir in the flour, pumpkin spice, and salt.
- On a lightly-floured piece of parchment, roll each chilled dough disk into a rounds about 6-inches in diameter. Divide the diced/grated apple mixture between the rounds; this will be about 1/4 cup in each. Spread out apple bits to form even layers in the center, leaving a 1-inch ring of bare dough around the edge.
- Arrange apple slices on top of the grated apple, overlapping in circles.
- Cut 1-inch slits in dough edge, each about 2-inches apart. Fold flaps in toward center, overlapping them. Press lightly to seal.
- Use the parchment to move galettes onto a baking sheet. Chill uncovered for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Start preheating oven at 425.
Add topping
- Crack egg into small bowl. Lightly beat in half & half, milk, or water. Use a pastry brush to coat the folded-over dough crust on each galette. Sprinkle the maple or turbinado sugar over the crust.
- Bake the apple tarts for about 20 to 25 minutes. If desired, drizzle caramel over the apple center of each galette. Place back in oven to bake another 5 minutes. Apple slices in center will be fork-tender when the tarts are done.
- Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Ginger Cream Filling
This Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Ginger Cream Filling is a winning combo of flavors: pumpkin, spices, ginger, and sweetness.
It’s a pretty cake, too, no matter what bundt cake mold you use. Filled cakes look so great when they are sliced open, like you’re revealing a present inside. And with a thin layer of glaze on top? Yum!
I’ve used this combo of ginger pumpkin before on Bready or Not. Here are some examples!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Ginger Cream Filling
Equipment
- 10-12 cup bundt cake pan
- nonstick spray with flour
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 3 cups white sugar
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup buttermilk or soured milk, see note
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 box) softened
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk or half & half
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Generously coat the interior of a large bundt pan with nonstick spray with flour.
- In a big bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the pumpkin. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the big bowl alternatively with the buttermilk/soured milk. Scape the bottom of the bowl again to make certain everything is combined.
- In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ginger, brown sugar, and flour.
- Scoop about 2/3 of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Spoon in the filling, being careful to make sure it doesn’t touch the sides of the pan (it could possibly stick and cause the cake to pull apart). Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter on top, evening out.
- Bake for 65 to 75 minutes; the middle of the cake should pass the toothpick test. Let it cool about 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
- Make glaze, adjusting the amounts as needed to create a thick texture. Drizzle atop cake. Let set at least an hour before cutting. Store covered or as wrapped individual slices.
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
Bready or Not Original: Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Cake
Cake is good. This Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Cake is very good.
The texture here is cakey and moist. And it gets moister over time, as is often the case with pumpkin baked goods. Therefore, I’ll say straight out that this is best eaten within 2 days. Not like it’s totally awful after that, but it can tend toward soggy. (Soggy and cake is only good if you’re talking something like Tres Leches.)
This is a versatile kind of cake that would work for a special breakfast or brunch, not just dessert.
Bready or Not Original: Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Cake
Equipment
- 15×10 pan (jelly roll pan)
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- waxed paper
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree 1 can
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Swirl
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 block) softened
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon milk or half & half
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 15×10-inch pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cloves. Add the pumpkin puree. Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the oil. Spread batter in prepared pan.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips in the microwave.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining sugar. Add the egg and milk. Fold in the melted chocolate until the entire mix is consistently brown.
- Spoon the filling over the pumpkin batter. Use something like a butter knife to create swirls throughout the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool for a while at room temperature, then put in fridge to fully chill.
- Slice in pan to serve, or use the foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice. If keeping in pan, store covered in fridge; if removing from pan, be sure to use waxed paper between the stacked layers and store in fridge. Best eaten within 2 days.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Sourdough Pumpkin Mini Muffins
This is a different kind of sourdough discard recipe: Sourdough Pumpkin Mini Muffins that are perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or a potluck!
I created this recipe by drastically reworking a King Arthur Flour recipe for loaf bread. The result is fast-baking mini muffins that can be eaten in just a couple bites.
The most prominent flavor here is the pumpkin and spice. The sourdough is subtle, adding a pleasant chalky tone.
My next book is out October 1st, and it’s something new and different! It’s fantasy with a literary edge, depicting a new kind of found family–one that includes two unique sentient characters: an anxious murder house and an ancient sourdough starter named Mother. I maintained my own “Mother” for book research (and still do), and therefore have tried a lot of new sourdough recipes over the past while.
Click the book cover below to preorder A House Between Sea and Sky via my affiliate link.
Bready or Not Original: Sourdough Pumpkin Mini Muffins
Equipment
- nonstick spray
- mini muffin pan (2, ideally)
- small cookie scoop
- toothpick
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter discard (170g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Topping
- 1/3 cup turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Generously grease mini muffin pan(s).
- In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, molasses, eggs, and pumpkin. Add the starter and vanilla, scraping bottom of bowl to incorporate everything.
- In another bowl, mix flour, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until evenly combined. Fold in pepitas and cranberries to distribute.
- Use a small cookie scoop to dole out the batter. Each well in the pan should be about 2/3 full. Add a pinch of turbinado sugar on top of each.
- Bake for 10 to 11 muffins; they should look set, and a middle muffin should pass the toothpick test (don’t discard that toothpick). Let muffins set for 5 minutes, then use the toothpick to gently lift each out of pan and onto a cooling rack.
- Store in a sealed container, with waxed paper between layers if stacking. The muffins will be moister after a day, and hold up well for a couple days.



















