This Easy Pumpkin Pudding Cake Is Pure Magic

No disrespect to pumpkin pie, but it’s time to let other (equally delicious) pumpkin desserts take center stage this fall. Because, let’s be honest, unless you’re using store-bought pie crust, pumpkin pie is kind of fussy. This warm pumpkin pudding cake, however, is easy as can be — and it’s downright magical.

This cake starts off like any other cake: combining the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg) in a large bowl, then adding in the wet ingredients (pumpkin purée, whole milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract), and then pouring the batter into a baking dish.

But here’s where things get interesting! Before putting your cake into the oven to bake, you whisk dark brown sugar with hot water and then pour it all over the cake batter. Don’t stir — just pop the baking dish into the oven and walk away.

Once the cake is baked and cooled, dust the top with powdered sugar. When you go to scoop out a serving, you’ll see that the brown sugar has settled on the bottom, creating a sticky-sweet caramelized layer of soft pumpkin pudding beneath the perfectly moist cake. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and you’ll be in heaven.

→ Get the Recipe: Warm Pumpkin Pudding Cake from Simply Scratch