A Pumpkin Coffee Bundt Cake for the Great Pumpkin’s 60th

Every October, Peanuts fans keep a quiet vigil with Linus, half hoping the Great Pumpkin finally rises from the most sincere pumpkin patch in the neighborhood. Across the US and Canada, the special is less a cartoon than a family ritual: the bag of rocks, Snoopy’s Flying Ace mission, Sally’s lost Halloween night. It all started on October 27, 1966, when CBS aired the second animated special built on Charles Schulz’s comic strip, and it’s been part of fall ever since.

This year the Great Pumpkin turned 60, and the celebration went beyond the TV. Duncan Hines put a Great Pumpkin Bundt Cake & Glaze Mix in stores starting in August, alongside a full Peanuts baking lineup and Swiss Miss cocoa, and Starbucks followed on September 15 with a Peanuts collection in stores across the US and Canada. The timing makes sense for a country that eats about 5.1 pounds of pumpkin per person a year. Our contribution is a pumpkin coffee Bundt cake with an espresso glaze, the kind of cake Linus could stay up all night for.

Why the Great Pumpkin Is Everywhere This Fall

Sixty years is a big number for a 25-minute cartoon, and brands noticed. Between the anniversary, a new baking mix and a coffeehouse collab, the Great Pumpkin has had its busiest fall in decades.

Sixty Years in the Pumpkin Patch

The special aired on network TV every year for more than five decades, first on CBS and later on ABC. In 2020, it moved to Apple TV, which now holds the streaming rights to the Peanuts specials.

Apple marked the anniversary with a free weekend on October 17 and 18. If you missed it, the special is still streaming for Apple TV subscribers, just in time for a Halloween night rewatch.

Duncan Hines’ Great Pumpkin Bundt Cake Mix

This is where the Bundt-kin got its start. Duncan Hines and Peanuts teamed up on a limited-edition baking line, and the Halloween star is the Great Pumpkin Bundt Cake & Glaze Mix:

• The cake: A pumpkin-flavored Bundt with an orange-colored glaze
• The box: 20.53 oz., with the recipe printed on the back
• Where to find it: Listed as a Walmart exclusive
• How long it’s around: On shelves through the end of the holiday season, with more seasonal items promised for 2027

The rest of the lineup is just as playful, including a Charlie Brown-ie Blondie Bar Mix inspired by his zig-zag shirt and a Peppermint Patty Brownie Mix.

Snoopy Shows Up at Starbucks and Swiss Miss

Coffee drinkers got their own piece of the anniversary:

• Starbucks: A 10-piece Peanuts collection inspired by the special, with drinkware, accessories and a Snoopy plush, launched September 15 at participating stores in the US, Canada and other markets
• Starbucks app: Two limited-time secret menu drinks inspired by Peanuts characters
• Swiss Miss: Peanuts-themed hot cocoa, including a 4-pack box set featuring Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Peppermint Patty

Why Coffee and Pumpkin Belong Together

Pumpkin on its own is mild, a little earthy and slightly sweet. Most of what we call “pumpkin flavor” is really the spice blend and the sugar around it, and coffee happens to get along with all of it.

• Bitterness balances sweetness: Coffee keeps a brown sugar cake from tasting flat or cloying.
• Roasted notes match warm spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg and clove sit naturally next to coffee’s caramel and cocoa notes.
• Coffee deepens flavor: A little brewed coffee in the batter makes the spices taste richer without making the cake taste like a latte.
• It’s already a habit: Pumpkin and coffee have shared a cup every fall since pumpkin spice drinks took over, so this just moves the pairing to a plate.

Pumpkin Coffee Bundt Cake Recipe

This makes one 10- to 12-cup Bundt cake, enough for 12 to 14 slices. Coffee goes into both the batter and the glaze, so the flavor builds without overpowering the pumpkin.

What You’ll Need

For the cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, ½ tsp nutmeg and ¼ tsp cloves)
• 1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin purée
• 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the espresso glaze:

• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons espresso or very strong coffee, cooled
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Equipment: A 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, two mixing bowls, a whisk and a wire rack.

No Bundt pan? Use a 10-inch tube pan with the same bake time, or split the batter between two 9×5-inch loaf pans and start checking them at 45 minutes.

No espresso machine? Dissolve 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder in 2 tablespoons hot water, or use a moka pot, AeroPress or a strong French press.

How to Make It

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease every ridge of the Bundt pan with softened butter or baking spray, then dust it with flour and tap out the extra.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spice.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, oil, both sugars, eggs, coffee and vanilla until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick.
5. Spread the batter in the pan and tap it on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
6. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely before glazing.

The Espresso Glaze

Whisk the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla and salt with 2 tablespoons of espresso. Add more espresso a little at a time until the glaze is thick but pourable.

Spoon it over the top of the cooled cake and let it run down the ridges. Give it 20 minutes to set before slicing.

The Shortcut Version With the Duncan Hines Mix

If you picked up the Great Pumpkin mix, you can still get the coffee in:

• Follow the box: Use the recipe on the back as your base.
• Swap in coffee: If the directions call for water, use cooled brewed coffee instead.
• Upgrade the glaze: Stir a teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the included glaze, or skip it and use the espresso glaze above.

Tips for a Clean Release and a Moist Crumb

• Use purée, not pie filling: Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spice in it and will throw off the recipe.
• Grease more than you think: Most Bundt disasters come from the pan, not the batter. Get into every groove.
• Watch the 10-minute window: If you flip the cake too early, it can break. If you wait too long, it can stick.
• Don’t overmix: Stir only until the flour disappears for a tender crumb.
• Let the coffee cool: Hot coffee can start cooking the eggs in the batter.
• Bake it a day ahead: Pumpkin cake gets moister and more flavorful overnight. Wrap it well and glaze it the day you serve it.

Best Coffee to Serve With Pumpkin Bundt Cake

The cake is sweet and spiced, so the best coffee either matches those warm notes or cuts through the glaze. Here’s how different roasts play with it:

For the batter itself, a medium roast is the safest pick, since it adds depth without any sharp acidity. You can find single-origin beans and roaster blends for any of these styles on Lovers Coffee.

Hosting a Great Pumpkin Watch Night

The special runs about 25 minutes, which leaves plenty of time for cake. A few easy ideas:

• Set up a coffee bar: Brew one medium and one decaf for grown-ups, and keep hot cocoa on hand for kids.
• Serve the Bundt as the centerpiece: Slice it at the opening credits so everyone has a plate before Linus heads to the patch.
• Bring a blanket: Linus would approve, and it’s Halloween night in most of the US and Canada, so it’ll probably be chilly.
• Hand out “rocks”: Chocolate rocks or candy stones in trick-or-treat bags are an easy nod to Charlie Brown’s bad luck.

Worth Waiting in the Pumpkin Patch For

Linus has spent 60 years waiting for a pumpkin that never shows, but you don’t have to wait for this one. Between Duncan Hines’ Great Pumpkin mix, Snoopy taking over Starbucks and a special that still pulls families together every Halloween, the anniversary gave pumpkin season a little extra charm. A from-scratch pumpkin coffee Bundt cake with espresso glaze brings it all together on one plate: warm spice, a hint of roast and a reason to brew a good pot of coffee before the opening credits. Charlie Brown might get a rock, but everyone at your table gets cake.

If you want more coffee information, recipes, and seasonal coffee trends, make sure to check our blog daily and explore the Lovers.coffee marketplace for everything you need to make your moments even sweeter.