Amish cooks often have pumpkin on hand year-round. Home-canned pumpkin is a staple in many Amish canning pantries. The home-canned version looks a little different than the can of Libby's you might buy in the store.

Home-canned pumpkin is much lighter, so the color will be reflected in baked goods you make if you used home-canned. But I'd venture to guess 99.9 percent of you who attempt this recipe will use the store-bought canned kind. This is a delicious cake.
I love autumn in Amish country. It's not uncommon to see shiny black buggies pulling carts loaded with bright orange pumpkins. I've also seen plenty of Amish families working together harvesting pumpkins in the fields. It's a true family affair with boys (yes, gender roles in Amish families are still very much defined) tossing the pumpkins up onto a cart while the girls roll them into position. Here are some great tips on growing your own pumpkins!
Pumpkins are a sure sign of autumn in Amish country. When the bright blazing orange appears in the fields, that is a sure sign that the first frosts isn't far behind. A nip in the air becomes inevitable and when that first frost hits, the pumpkins will then be past their prime. While pumpkins are large and seemingly mighty, it doesn't take much frost to do them in.
While this recipe works wonderfully in a bundt pan, it can be made in a flat 9 X 13 baking pan, or you can use a round cake pan. You might have to monitor or adjust baking times a little,but the cake will turn out fine.
Okay, now to this recipe...well, yes, first let's answer the obvious question:
🙋 FAQ
It varies. Some Amish bakers do keep some boxes cake mixes on hand just for this type of recipe. Consider an Amish mom with a house full of children, a cake mix like this can really save time.
So you'll want a package of yellow cake mix just like this or your favorite brand. Store-brands are a lot cheaper and do just as well.
Use canned pumpkin and then some sort of homemade or store-bought sour cream and four of the fresh eggs you can get your hands on!
While many Amish cooks may keep some boxed cake mixes stashed away in their pantries, you won't find too many Amish with store-bought eggs. Fresh eggs are plentiful in most Amish settlements. You either having laying hens or you know someone who does.
🙋FAQ
Yes, if you want to add a little "crunch" to this cake, some chopped walnuts or pecans would be a nice addition and wouldn't impact the baking time, just mix them in on the step when you mix in the eggs.
We used an electric mixer on this one. I mean, I try, when I replicate these recipes to do things the "Amish way" as much as possible. Wooden spoons and metal bowls are my favorite, and I rarely touch my wife's stand-mixer. But just sometimes an electric mixer is nice because it speeds things up and it does with this cake. This cake does bake a good long while in the oven. Because oven temperatures and efficiency can vary so much by manufacturer and altitude, do start monitoring the cake at about 30 minutes, just peek at it, maybe at 45 minutes give it the ol' toothpick test. But when it is all done you get a beautiful Amish sour cream pumpkin coffeecake!
🎃 Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffeecake
- 1 package yellow cake mix, divided
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided
- 2 T. brown sugar
📋 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons cake mix.
- Combine remaining cake mix, pumpkin, sour cream, eggs, sugar, water and 1-½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in large bowl.
- Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened.
- Beat at medium speed 2 minutes.
- Pour into pan. In small bowl, combine reserved cake mix, brown sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon pie spice.
- Sprinkle on top of batter.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto cooling rack.
- Turn right side up.
- Cool completely.
🎃 More Amish Pumpkin Recipes
🖨️ Full Recipe
Amish Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffeecake
Ingredients
- 1 package yellow cake mix divided
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons cake mix.
- Combine remaining cake mix, pumpkin, sour cream, eggs, sugar, water and 1-½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in large bowl
- .Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened.
- Beat at medium speed 2 minutes
- .Pour into pan. In small bowl, combine reserved cake mix, brown sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon pie spice.
- Sprinkle on top of batter. .
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
- Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto cooling rack.
- Turn right side up.Cool completely
Chrissy
I'm making this tonight! Oh Yum! Growing up in Wayne and Holmes County Ohio! This sounds like a "home" recipe!
Thank you Kevin!
Kevin Williams
Enjoy, it is a good one!
Andrea
Do I use all 29oz of Pumpkin? Looks delicious!
Kevin Williams
Yep, use it all - and enjoy!
Linda Garbe
I’m seeing the recipe calls for 1 cup of pumpkin not 29 oz. Am I incorrect? Thanks for the recipes. Ready to try this one!
Kevin Williams
Yes, sorry about that discrepenancy, 1 cup!