Go Back

Pumpkin Honey Bun Cake

Pumpkin honey bun cake is baked with a cinnamon-brown sugar swirl running through a moist pumpkin cake, then finished with a thick vanilla glaze. This easy 9x13 method creates ribboned layers for a tender, spice-forward crumb.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin honey bun cake
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow or spice cake mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 0.667 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 baking dish for easy release (visual cue: dish looks lightly coated, not wet-puddled).
  2. Beat the cake mix, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until smooth (visual cue: batter is thick but fully uniform with no dry mix streaks).
  3. Pour half the batter into the greased dish.
  4. Mix the cinnamon swirl ingredients and sprinkle half over the batter (visual cue: you see a cinnamon-brown sugar layer forming on top).
  5. Pour the remaining batter over the swirl layer.
  6. Mix and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon swirl over the top, then swirl with a knife (visual cue: brown-cinnamon streaks ribbon through the batter).
  7. Bake for 38-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (visual cue: top looks set and lightly golden, and toothpick has no wet batter).
Glaze and serve
  1. Whisk the vanilla glaze ingredients until smooth.
  2. Pour the glaze over the hot cake while still in the pan (visual cue: glaze drizzles and settles in stripes and glistens).
  3. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Pro tip: Swirl the cinnamon mixture lightly just after layering so you get visible ribboning rather than fully blending. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; warm slices briefly for best texture. Freezing is yes—wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight. For a dairy-reduced swap, use lactose-free sour cream and lactose-free milk (glaze will still set).