Pumpkin Butterscotch Cakes are delicious and beautiful right out of the pan without any decorating needed. The warm, spiced flavors of these mini pumpkin cakes match the fall themed molds perfectly.
Why you'll love this recipe
Pumpkin loaf cake is a moist, delicious treat. Melted butterscotch chips are added to the batter to give these mini pumpkin loaves a warm depth of flavor.
Using a Nordicware Harvest Mini Loaf Pan , made the mini pumpkin cakes come out of the oven too cute to cover up. The variety of molded shapes on top (leaves, turkey, squirrel, and acorns) are fun for all fall cake eating occasions.
However, you don't need a special pan to enjoy these loaves. The recipe can be used in a regular full size or mini loaf pans.
If you prefer a pumpkin loaf without butterscotch, try Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread which has lots of pumpkin and spice flavor.
The little cakes are so flavorful that additional topping isn’t needed, though you can sprinkle the little loaves with confectioner’s sugar or drizzle a bit of spiced icing if you prefer.
If eating these at home, drizzle with icing right before serving. If mailing, package the pre-measured icing ingredients in a small ziplock bag. Add water right to the bag to mix up the icing when ready to eat.
These loaf cakes are quick and easy to make, two bowls and no electric mixer! In addition to sending the cakes in care packages, make them as gifts and keeping a few for a treat with your coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- Be sure to use plain, canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which has added spices and sweeteners.
- Find butterscotch chips in the baking aisle of most supermarkets where the chocolate chips are displayed. My favorite brand is Guittard, but the chips are made by numerous brands.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, white sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, microwave butterscotch chips at 50% for one minute. Stir. If not completely melted, return to microwave for an additional 20 seconds or until melted.
- Mix the pumpkin puree into the melted butterscotch. Then stir in the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Divide batter into a mini loaf pan coated with non-stick spray. Fill no higher than ¾” from the top of each mold.
- Bake for 18-23 minutes.
- Cool the cakes in the pan for 30 minutes before inverting to unmold onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips
- If using icing, I recommend adding it to the individual Pumpkin Butterscotch Cakes right before eating. Package the cakes and the icing ingredients separately for shipping.
- A super easy way to package the icing for shipping is to pre-measure the dry ingredients into a small ziplock bag. Include directions to add 1- 1 ½ teaspoons of water, massage the bag to mix the contents, cut a tiny bit off one bottom corner of the bag, and drizzle onto the cake.
- Don't ship pumpkin loaf cake in hot weather(moist cake is more prone to molding in warm weather), in cooler temperatures these cakes will stay fresh for at least 5 days.
Storage
Wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap. Then, store at room temperature (or refrigerate) in an airtight container for about 5 days.
Frequently asked questions
In addition to adding delicious flavor, pumpkin adds moisture, sweetness and can substitute for some fats in baking recipes.
The main difference is that puree contains only pumpkin. Pie filling is puree with sweetener and spices added.
No. If a recipe is written for pumpkin puree and you use pie filling instead, the baked goods will come out overly sweet and overly spiced.
Related recipes
If you love baking with pumpkin, the next time try crunchy Pumpkin Biscotti.
If you love citrus, you will want to try Orange Olive Oil Loaf Cake and Lemon Loaf. Both are soft, tender and bursting with bright citrus flavor.
Oatmeal Raisin Loaf is a cozy quick bread spiced with cinnamon. It tastes like your favorite oatmeal cookie turned into a loaf cake.
Fill your kitchen with the warming aromas of cinnamon and ginger baking Gingerbread Loaf Cake. Super quick to prepare when you mix the batter in the blender!
Moist Tea Brack is a traditional Irish fruit cake made with tea. If you love raisins, you will love this loaf!
Chocolate Marble Pound Cake is a moist and delicious loaf with swirls of vanilla and chocolate dough.
Cherry Bread is a beautiful pink quick bread full of glistening maraschino cherries. Perfect for tea time or brunch!
You will love this moist and delicious Honey Cake Loaf made with applesauce. It's a year round reader favorite!
Recipe summary
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Pumpkin Butterscotch Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For optional icing
- 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1-2 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat baking pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, microwave butterscotch chips at 50% for one minute. Stir. If not completely melted, return to microwave for an additional 20 seconds or until melted.
- To the melted butterscotch, mix in the pumpkin puree until blended. Then stir in the oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, no higher than ¾” from the top of each mold.
- Bake for 18-23 minutes for mini cakes. Cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If the batter rose above the top of the molds, and the cakes are touching each other, use a knife to score the touching edges before cooling.
- Cool the cakes in the pan for 30 minutes before inverting to unmold onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature (or refrigerate) in an airtight container for about 5 days.
- Optional: Pumpkin spice icing ingredients can be mixed with 1-2 teaspoons of water and drizzled on the cakes immediately before serving. If shipping the cakes, put the dry ingredients for the icing in a small ziplock bag with directions to mix with water and drizzle.
Notes
- This batter can also be used in a full sized, 12 cup bundt pan. Increase baking time to 40-50 minutes.
- If using icing, I recommend adding it to the individual Pumpkin Butterscotch Cakes right before eating. For shipping, the cakes and the icing ingredients should be packaged separately.
- A super easy way to package the icing for shipping is to pre-measure the dry ingredients into a small ziplock bag. Include directions to add 1- 1 ½ teaspoons of water, massage the bag to mix the contents, cut a tiny bit off one bottom corner of the bag, and drizzle onto the cake.
Nutrition
First published October 24, 2016. Last updated September 1, 2022. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
Carlee
They are so cute and I'll bet the butterscotch is delicious in there!
sazzed hossain
hi.This recipe is very nice.Perfect combination.
Ray McCormick
I searched your website for Banana Split Dessert and it took me to Pumpkin Butterscotch Cakes. HELP.
Wendy Sondov
Ray, The Monday Box has only recipes that can be sent in care packages. Banana Split Dessert doesn't exist on this site. Perhaps you can find something else delicious! 🙂
Isha
This looks super delish! Also super healthy and pretty easy, major bonus
The Monday Box
Thanks, Isha! This flavor combination is warm and satisfying. My family requests these little cakes year round. 🙂
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
That pan is gorgeous, and your little cakes came out just perfectly!
Roseann Hampton
These sound and look delicious! And I love your cake pan!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Roseann! The pan is seasonal Nordicware that I found at Home Goods! I try not to get novelty pans (I just don't have any more room!) but I couldn't resist this one. My son's girlfriend says this is the best thing I have ever baked. 🙂
April J Harris
You've combined two of my favourite flavours here - pumpkin and butterscotch! Scheduled to pin and to share on our Hearth and Soul Facebook page!
The Monday Box
Thank you, April! Pumpkin and butterscotch compliment one another wonderfully! Thanks for pinning and for hosting Hearth and Soul!
Miz Helen
So many wonderful pumpkin goodies, yum! Hope you have a great week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Miz Helen
The Monday Box
Thanks, Miz Helen! The Pumpkin Party produced such a variety of delicious pumpkin recipes! I was both amazed and delighted. 🙂
Edye
These look so yummy! I love little cakes like these 🙂
The Monday Box
Thanks, Edye! Little cakes are fun. Everyone can have their own. 🙂
Allison
YUUUUM!!! I love butterscotch, but never thought to pair it up with pumpkin. These look delicious, can't wait to try!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Allison! Butterscotch and pumpkin are amazing together. I hope you enjoy these. 🙂
Monica
What a fun virtual party. And these are adorable. I have to try very hard not to buy these cake pans/molds when I see them. These little cakes are great for gift-giving and the optional icing (or not) is great, too. I am intrigued by the combination of pumpkin with butterscotch...sounds delicious!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Monica! The party was an opportunity for me to connect with a LOT of very talented bloggers whose blogs were new to me. Also, an opportunity to pin a ton of amazing pumpkin based recipes! 🙂 As for my Nordic Ware addiction.....I do TRY to only buy pans with multiple uses. This one makes such pretty little gift loaves for all of the fall/winter holidays. (Surely, that justifies another pan?!) 😉
Chris Scheuer
Beautiful, just beautiful Wendy. I'm crazy about that mold. It looks like these cakes released so well too - I've had problems in the past with cakes sticking in the molds. Must be the perfect recipe and I agree, they're way too pretty to cover up!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Chris! I think it is a combination of a recipe that works with molded pans and this series of Nordic Ware pans is very heavy duty and a sparkly copperish color. The non-stick surface is excellent.
Rony Jahid
Hey beautiful lady, love love your sweet cute pumpkin cakes. You have no idea that, how much I love these cake. In my childhood I don`t like pumpkin, but after that I just eat for good health. Now I just fan your recipe. really adorable.
The Monday Box
Thank you, Rony! I have not always been a fan of pumpkin either, but the pumpkin flavor is mild in this cake and the butterscotch makes it warm and sweet. 🙂
Rony Jahid
Its my pleasure to give your time for this great response! Want more & more new recipe, best of luck.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Rony. I hope you find lots of recipes to enjoy on The Monday Box.
Rony Jahid
Really Monday recipe just awesome. I really enjoy these recipe. Thank you so much!!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
These are just adorable! The crumb looks perfect. What a big pumpkin party you are having today! Thanks for sharing these lovely creations - I never thought to combine butterscotch and pumpkin but wish I had. Two of my favorites for sure.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Tricia! I tried several recipes and the difference in crumb made me feel like The 3 Bears; one was too heavy, one was too fluffy, and THIS one was just right! 😉
saltandserenity
These little cakes are just so sweet. (Not sponsored, just adored made me laugh!!) I also dislike cloves with a vengeance! I am not a huge pumpkin fan but the addition of butterscotch may have won me over.
Did you read the epicurious article about pumpkin puree?
http://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/what-is-in-canned-pumpkin-article
I felt like I did when I found out the tooth fairy wasn't real!
The Monday Box
Hmmm....Squash Butterscotch is a tongue twister and sounds rather disgusting to me! I think we should keep that article a secret because my family would have me committed for sure if I started boycotting fake canned pumpkin and pureed my own! (They have enough evidence as it is!) But I am concerned about your tooth fairy comment. Are you saying the tooth fairy isn't real?!!