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A worthy fall bake: Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce

If you're anything like me, the second the temperatures properly drop you'll be looking to warm the kitchen up with a delicious fall bake. This Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce is packed with gorgeous fall spices and a sauce so decadent you might be tempted to eat it by the spoonful before it ever reaches the cake.

a cake stand with a pumpkin spice bundt cake on top

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce sitting on top of a piece of brown parchment paper

Let's talk about the Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce for a moment

I'm not big on frosting, but this cake needed just a little bit something extra so I thought I'd take a beloved butterscotch sauce (from this Butterbeer Frozen Custard recipe) and make it decidedly extra for this recipe by adding a splash of maple syrup and a splash of bourbon. This Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce is lovely enjoyed drizzled on top of the cake when first prepared and served at room temperature, or poured on warm as you serve slices - much like a classic English sticky toffee pudding cake.

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on blue and tan plates with whipped cream and forks

a whipped cream topped slice of Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on a blue plate with a form

The elements of a moist and fluffy gluten-free cake

A mix of gluten-free flours: I use a combination of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour in this recipe. Are they all necessary? Yes. Atleast if you want to properly fool people into believing this cake isn't gluten-free. Though the bulk of this cake is made up of almond flour, both tapioca flour and coconut flour play an important role in giving the cake the structure and fluffiness of a traditional cake and softening the sometimes gritty texture of almond flour - so don't skip them! If needed, you can substitute arrowroot powder for the tapioca flour in this recipe and achieve similar results, but please don't mess with anything else.
Apple cider vinegar: Do you remember those fun volcanos from science class that were made from baking soda and vinegar? They bubbled up and created lots of fluffy froth. Using apple cider vinegar in this recipe is more or less the same concept, except it results in a fluffier cake instead of a frothy explosion.
Coconut sugar: The other element that really helps the cake obtain a great bake is coconut sugar. Though honey is my favorite refined sugar-free sweetener for its natural gut-healing properties, it often encourages a denser bake. Therefore, coconut sugar is my preferred sweetener in this recipe because it helps further provide structure (the fluffy air pockets you get on a traditional cake) and helps lock in moisture.

slices of Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on tan and blue plates

a tan plate with Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce and a dollop of whipped cream with a fork

My favorite way to ensure a clean cake release

It's always frustrating to turn a bundt cake out of its pan only to have part of it stick to the pan and ruin the design. My favorite way to ensure a clean cake release is to prep the pan with plenty of butter + a dusting of coconut sugar.

I like to use this pan prep method immediately before adding the cake batter so it doesn't get a chance to melt and run:

Coat your bundt pan in a generous layer of softened (not melted) butter with a basting brush, making sure to butter the inner stem and over the top edge of the pan in case the cake bakes over the edge when rising. After greasing the pan, coat with coconut sugar, tilting the pan until you have dispersed the coconut sugar evenly across the surface. Not only should this method help prevent the cake from sticking, but you don't end up with a floury white coating on your dark bundt cake like you often do when coating with flour.

three plates with slices of Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on a wooden board with forks

2 blue plates and a tan plate with wedges of pumpkin spice bund cake, whipped cream, and forks

What tools do you need to make this recipe?

Are you looking for an upgrade to your kitchen tools or looking to replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and my pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

a wooden tray with 6 plates in blue and tan topped with Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce and whipped cream

blue and tan plates with sices of bundt cake and whipped cream

How long will this cake keep?

When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this cake should last for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this cake for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To defrost, allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours until thawed.

a fork sitting next to a side of Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce topped with whipped cream

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce and whipped cream on a dark blue plate with a fork

A note for special diets

This Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce is grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and can be made to fit paleo diets with a few small substitutions (below).

For paleo diets: The butter in the Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake batter may be swapped out for an equal amount of melted ghee or coconut oil. The butter in the Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce may be substituted for an equal amount of ghee. The bourbon (lamentably) will need to be omitted altogether.