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Cake Mix Pumpkin Bread

Cake mix pumpkin bread with a tender, deeply moist orange-gold loaf and a simple powdered sugar glaze. Stir-together batter and bake until a toothpick comes out clean for an easy breakfast bake.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin bread
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) spice cake mix or yellow cake mix
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.333 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 cup water (only if batter is very thick) Add only if batter seems very thick; it should be pourable but not runny.
  • 0.5 cup chocolate chips or chopped pecans Optional.
Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan so the bread releases cleanly.
Mix the batter
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon, then stir until smooth.
  2. Add water only if the batter is very thick, stirring until it becomes pourable but not runny.
  3. Fold in chocolate chips or pecans if using, distributing them evenly through the batter.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and tap once to settle the surface.
  2. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and glaze
  1. Cool the bread for 15 minutes in the pan before removing it.
  2. Stir powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth, then drizzle over the warm loaf.

Notes

Pro tip: if your pumpkin puree is watery, skip the optional water—your batter should be pourable like thick cake batter, not runny. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a dairy-light option, use unsweetened plant milk in the glaze (taste may vary slightly).