I originally considered calling this Pumpkin Ricotta Bundt Cake the “Pumpkin Ricotta Custard Bundt Cake.”

That title was a bit long, so I dropped “custard” from the name — though the custard is really the star. The ricotta custard is what makes this cake special, and the fun part is how it forms during baking: you simply pour it over the batter and it sinks and bakes into a delicate, creamy swirl.

The cake has a story behind it. Years ago, when I was fresh out of college and working as a sales manager in an executive training program, a group of seasoned coworkers taught me the ropes — and shared their baking. One of them brought a yellow cake topped with a ricotta custard that I had never tasted before. It was rich, creamy and surprisingly simple to make: a boxed yellow cake plus a few extras. It quickly became my go-to when I needed a quick, impressive dessert.

I gave that recipe to anyone who asked, and my sister-in-law adopted it for holidays, which meant I often found a slice waiting for me on her dessert table. Over time I stopped making the original as much — I was chasing new ideas for the blog — and eventually wondered if I could adapt it into a pumpkin version. How different could it be? As it turns out, pumpkin changes a lot about a batter’s texture, and combining it with a custard introduced new challenges.

Early attempts were too moist; one cake was even underbaked in the center, and I ended up toasting slices to finish them off. Despite the mishaps, some family members liked those experimental slices enough to ask for seconds, but I knew the recipe needed to be refined before sharing it publicly.

After several adjustments I returned to a reliable pumpkin bundt base and reworked the custard, aiming to use a full can of pumpkin without leftover puree. The balance between pumpkin’s moisture and the cake batter is key: too wet and the custard won’t settle or bake properly; too dry and textures won’t blend. I made small tweaks until the custard formed a distinct, tender layer within the cake.

When I finally photographed and baked the finished version, I left the house briefly. I returned to find half the cake already eaten — my family loved it and didn’t want to share. That reaction confirmed the recipe was worth keeping.

The cake finishes tender and moist rather than light and fluffy, with a gentle spice level that will appeal to many. If you prefer bolder spice, you can increase cinnamon and add ginger or cloves, or substitute pumpkin pie spice. I’ve thought about adding orange zest next time for a brighter note.

The custard creates a moist ribbon through the cake; where it meets the batter the texture can be almost pie-like, which led one tasters to call it a “pie-cake.” I prefer the simpler name Pumpkin Ricotta Bundt Cake — or just Pumpkin Ricotta Cake — since it’s easier to say and still describes what you’ll be tasting.

It’s best stored in the refrigerator. My family liked it cold, but I prefer it closer to room temperature or slightly warmed: a few seconds in the microwave softens the cake and brings out a fluffier, tender texture.

Notes on success: the way the custard settles depends on the pumpkin puree’s moisture. If your puree is very thick, try replacing a tablespoon or two of pumpkin with buttermilk to loosen it slightly before combining. The cake will still taste excellent even if the custard doesn’t sink exactly the same way every time.

In short: this cake offers a tender pumpkin crumb with a soft ricotta custard swirl — simple to assemble, impressive to serve, and reliably delicious.

Pumpkin Ricotta Bundt Cake

Yield:
12 -16 slices

In this cake, a sweet ricotta custard is poured over pumpkin batter and bakes into a delicate cheese layer inside the cake. How much the custard “sinks” depends on your pumpkin puree’s consistency — see the notes below for tips.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) — see notes on consistency
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

For the filling:

• 1 pound ricotta cheese (part-skim works well)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• Confectioner’s sugar for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan, tapping out excess flour. Adjust oven rack to the lower third.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In another bowl combine pumpkin, vanilla and buttermilk until smooth. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the pumpkin mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin, flour, pumpkin, flour), mixing until just combined after each addition. Scrape the bowl as needed.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
7. For the filling, whisk together ricotta, eggs, sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Pour evenly over the cake batter and gently jiggle the pan to level the filling if needed.
8. Bake 55–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
9. Place a cooling rack over the pan, invert the cake onto the rack, then cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Notes

*To grease a bundt pan easily: mix 1 tablespoon melted butter with 1 tablespoon flour into a paste and brush into all the pan’s ridges.

*Store the cake in the refrigerator. It can be served cold, at room temperature, or warmed briefly in the microwave to soften and revive a fluffier texture.

*To increase spice: try 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon cloves, or replace spices with 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. For a brighter flavor, add the zest of 1/2 an orange. Test changes on one batch first to find your preferred balance.

*Pan size: my bundt pan is about 10″ across and 3 3/4″ tall. The original version worked in a 13×9″ pan, but I have not tested this pumpkin variation in that size.

*If your pumpkin puree is very thick, remove 1–2 tablespoons of pumpkin and replace with buttermilk to loosen the mixture. Moisture levels affect how much the custard sinks, but either way the cake will be delicious.

© Ramona